True Love is Blind
by DiaryofaMadHatter
Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he has seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then; Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident.
1. Chapter 1

True Love is Blind

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

Chapter 1:

I sat in my kitchen, wallowing in self-pity, playing with the food on my plate, moving it from one side to the other. It smelled like chicken, but I couldn't be sure. I could never be sure of anything in my life anymore, as I was blind. I still remember the day I lost my sight.

_It was a year after I had graduated from Hogwarts. I was living in Diagon Alley at the time, working as a journalist for the Daily Prophet. I was writing an investigative report on the underground Death Eater societies that still existed. _

_Though Voldemort had died, there were still secret groups of his followers all over; one only had to know the right place to look for them. For months I had followed leads, going under a false name trying to find anything that would lead me to my ultimate goal; infiltrating one of these secret societies, living among them and finally exposing their existence._

_Then, one fateful day, as I was sitting in the Leady Cauldron, sipping a cup of steaming hot coffee, I overheard to men speaking in hushed tones. I subtly leaned back in my chair, trying to listen to them more closely. _

_"Borgin and Burkes. That's where we're meeting tonight, Lucius, at 11. Make sure to tell Crabbe and Goyle, they'll want to know too. I've already informed Pettigrew, he has a hunch about our Dark Lord," one man whispered._

_I gasped. This was the lead I had been waiting for. Hurriedly, I dropped a few coins on the table, downed the rest of my coffee, wincing as it bunt my tongue and throat, and left. Making my way through the crowds of witches and wizards strolling in the street, I rounded a corner, on my way back to my apartment to ready myself for the night._

_Being an investigative reporter, I was used to sneaking into places to obtain crucial information, but this was the first time that I was truly nervous. This would be dangerous, I was well aware of that, but it was my job to get the information out to the wizarding world, and I would do just that. _

_Walking up the stairs to my tiny apartment, I saw a familiar figure standing by my doorway. As the person heard my footsteps, he turned around, and upon seeing my grinned._

_"Charlie! It's so wonderful to see you," I exclaimed, throwing my arms around my best friend since my first year at Hogwarts. He was a year above me, and had taken on the role of my protector when he saw some Slytherins bullying me my first year. Since then, we had been nigh inseparable, until he left for Romania to work with dragons, that is. Ever since then, though, we had a habit of surprising one another with random visits._

_I quickly unlocked the door, ushering him into my untidy living room, "Sorry for the mess," I apologized, embarrassed that I did not do a better job of keeping my 'home' tidy. _

_"Kat! I've missed you and your messes, love," teasing me as he pulled me into a hug. I grinned and sniffed him, taking in the musky smell that belonged only to him. Truth be told, I was in love with Charlie Weasley, and had been from the moment I met him. He didn't know this of course, but whenever I saw him, my heart skipped a beat. When he smiled at me, that lopsided grin that he reserved only for me, I lost my breath. His hugs, engulfing me in his warm embrace, holding me tightly, shielding me from the world, made me speechless. "Kat, why in the world are you sniffing me?" _

_I blushed. He'd never noticed me doing that before. "You smell good," I muttered, looking down at my feet._

_He laughed and lifted my chin up with his hand, looking deep into my eyes, "Now, now, none of that. We've been best friends for ages. There's no need to blush. I happen to think you smell fairly wonderful yourself. You always smell like roses."_

_"Yeah, you smell like the forest. And you know how much I love the forest," I smiled, reminiscing about our nights spent sneaking out of the castle after curfew, wandering around in the Forbidden Forest. Unlike others, I was not afraid of the forest. I felt at peace there, surrounded by the enchanting beauty of the trees, their boughs draping over one another, shading the floor from the light, creating soft shadows. I loved listening to the sound of Unicorn's hoofbeats._

_"It's a wonder we were never caught. I reckon Hagrid must've at least known, but he always did have a soft spot for us. You know, you really should have come with me to Romania. I know how much you love magical creatures," he whispered. There was something off about his tone; there was almost a concealed fervent longing. I must have been imagining it, though. There was no way that he could love me. I wasn't anything special to look at. I had boring mousy brown hair that could never seem to be tamed. My eyes were a muddy brown, my lips too full, as was my figure. I had never been 'model skinny'. I was curvy. Very curvy. I hated it. No one wanted a fat girl. The one boyfriend I had once told me that he was only dating me for my breasts, which were also too large for my taste. There was no way Charlie could love someone like me._

_"You know full well that if I had a choice, I would be there, but my parents would just about murder me. That's why I write, you know that, Charlie," I said, suddenly feeling downcast._

_"Hey, I'm sorry. I was being a git, that wasn't fair of me,"_

_"Don't worry about it. We all make mistakes," I smiled weakly at him, quickly changing the subject, "Would you like anything to eat or drink? You're welcome to help yourself to anything in the fridge. Oh, and will you be staying over night? I'll have to pop out for a bit around 11 tonight, but I should be back by morning."_

_Charlie's relaxed expression suddenly turned cold and tight, "Kat, you're not still on about that underground Death Eater society, are you? You know how I feel about that; it's entirely too dangerous."_

_"Charlie," I sighed, "I know full well how you feel, but I can't change what my boss assigns me. If she wants me to research this, I will."_

_"What if something happens to you? These are dangerous criminals, Katrina, not some rebellious students," he said, referring to my days as a Prefect._

_"I know that too, Charles," I glared, "but this is my __**job**__. I can't just stop doing it because it's slightly dangerous. You want to talk about danger, Charlie Weasley? What about your job? Just how many times have you been bitten, burned, scratched, and otherwise injured doing your job? You are a complete hypocrite."_

_I hated fighting with him, but we knew just how to frustrate one another, which tended to happen quite often, especially when it concerned each other's safety. I knew he was just trying to show that he worried about me, but I thought it completely unfair, as he never listened to me when I told him I worried about him on his job._

_His eyes flashed dangerously as he took a step towards me, grabbing my shoulders so that I had no choice but to face him, "That. Is. Completely. Different. Dragons are animals, and it's only one dragon with multiple handlers. This is you against Merlin-knows-how-many Death Eaters. You will be alone. God forbid you were discovered, what would you do then? I'm only looking out for your well being, Katrina," he said more softly._

_"I know, Charlie. I'm sorry," I said, knowing that he would be furious with me when he heard my decision._

_"So does this mean that you'll stay here tonight?" he glanced at me hopefully._

_I broke out of his grasp, going to stand by the window silently, as I turned my back to him, leaning on the windowsill, staring down at the street. "I'm sorry, Charlie. This doesn't change anything. I must go. I really am sorry."_

_"Fine, I guess I'll just leave then… but know that I'd rather see you dead than going to wherever this meeting is," he growled angrily._

_I flinched as if I had been hit. Charlie's eyes widened as he realized what he had just said._

_He walked towards me, holding his arms open, ready to engulf me in another giant hug. I turned around, tears stinging my eyes. I could feel the hot, salty drops falling down my face. "Kat, I-I-I didn't mean it, hey, come here, I'm sorry, Kat, please, forgive me, please."_

_"I- I think it would be b-better if you just left, Charlie," I managed to choke out. "Pl-Please j-just g-g-go."_

_By that point, I was sobbing. As if I weren't already nervous about the upcoming confrontation as it was. I didn't need Charlie reprimanding me too. He was supposed to support me, wasn't that what best friends did?_

_Charlie tried to come towards me, to comfort me, but I shrunk away from him. I knew I had hurt him. I could see tears forming in his eyes. Charlie never cried. This was truly a rare occurrence, and no matter how tempted I was to engulf him in a hug, I had to turn my back to him. _

_I heard him punch the door frame before storming out. I felt my knees give out and I crumpled to the floor. I don't know how long I sat there crying._

_After what seemed like hours, I glanced at the clock. It was 10:30. I cursed quietly, grabbing the invisibility cloak my boss had given me. It would keep me invisible, but if someone shot a spell at it to remove it, I would be undone. _

_Pulling it around me, I grabbed a quill and parchment, stuffing them into my back pocket as I walked out the door, angrily wiping tears from my face. _

_Walking in the now eerily quiet streets, I heard a group of voices talking in hushed whispers._

"_Ahh, you've made it Lucius, and good, you've brought Crabbe and Goyle," the voice said. It was the same man who had been talking earlier. Carefully watching my steps, I trailed the group, making sure to follow at a safe distance, gliding in the door of Borgin and Burkes quickly before it shut._

_I hid, crouching under a display table, eagerly listening to the conversation. I muttered a silencing charm so that the scratching of my quill on parchment could not be heard._

"_So…kind of all of you to join us tonight. I'm sure the Dark Lord would be pleased."_

"_You speak as if he were here," another man hissed._

"_You mean to question our Lord, Lucius? I'm surprised you even showed up tonight. From what I've heard, you've been acting as if you had never been a Death Eater," a deep, gruff voice whispered angrily._

"_I am merely trying to protect my family, for appearance's sake. You of all people should understand that, Yaxley. I am as faithful to our Dark Lord as anyone here. I was merely questioning your statement. The Potter boy destroyed our Lord, though I know he is back. The Ministry is in denial. We should use that to our advantage. We should focus on destroying Potter," the man, Lucius, retorted._

"_And how do you expect to do that? The Dark Lord himself could not succeed. Not on that night, not with the Sorcerer's Stone, not in the Chamber of Secrets. How could we do any better?"_

_I gasped, jumping up a bit and disturbing the table under which I was hidden. Damn! I prayed that they would not notice, but to no avail._

"_Wait. What was that? The table moved," Lucius stood, looking directly at me, "__Homenum Revelio."_

"_There! There's someone there! A spy!"_

_Within a second, I was surrounded. My was way blocked. The table was thrown to the side. Terror gripped me. I was certain that I was going to die. Charlie had been right, of course. Charlie. My best friend. My love. I hadn't even said goodbye to him. My last words to him had been harsh. The last memory he would have of me would be my harsh words. _

_My invisibility cloak was ripped off me, I was yanked upright._

"_Who are you? Are you a spy?"_

_I flinched away in fear, but the man only pulled my hair back harder, making me look into his cold gray eyes. I knew instantly who it was, the long slivery blonde hair and the cold, cruel expression in his eyes gave him away; Lucius Malfoy, my uncle._

"_Katrina, what a lovely surprise," he sneered. "How is your traitor of a mother?"_

"_Please. Don't do this. I won't mention anything. I swear. Just please let me go," I was terrified at this point. I was sobbing, begging for mercery._

"_I'm afriad we can't do that. You've heard to much. Shame to ruin such a pretty thing," a hooded figure growled, "Crucio."_

_I writhed in agony. I felt as if my whole body was on fire, my flesh buring, my blood boiling, bones breaking, muscles being torn apart. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to see Charlie one more time. If he could forgive me, then I could die in peace. _

"_Crucio! Crucio!"_

_The torture continued. My knees had given out, and I was on the floor, curled in the fetal position. Tears streamed down my face. I would surely go mad if this did not end soon._

_"As much as I am enjoying this, someone will hear her. Finish her off quickly. We must leave."_

_So this was it, I thought. I was going to die._

_All of a sudden, one of them yelled, "Sectumsempra!"but at the same time, a voice-one that I knew all too well exclaimed "__Expelliarmus!"_

_The next thing I knew, my eyes felt like they were on fire, a red film flowing over them, which I later realized was blood. My vision went fuzzy, and I was lost to the darkness. But I was happy. If I had died, at least Charlie had come back for me, for I was certain that he had been the one to disarm the Death Eaters._


	2. Chapter 2

True Love is Blind Chapter 2

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job inRomania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

_I woke up to an excruciating pain in my eyes. I tried to blink but realized with a start that I couldn't see. I gingerly reached up, feeling that my motion was oddly restricted, like I was attached to something, and felt my face. It was covered in coarse bandages to about my nose._

_Suddenly, the events of that night came flooding back to me; I had been found out. I was attacked, tortured. And Charlie. He had saved me, I was sure of it. There was no one else who had known where I had been, nor could anyone have had the same voice as him. My pulse quickened. What if something had happened to him? How could I forgive myself if something had happened to him because of me?_

_I could hear a nurse come bustling into my room. "Oh, good dear, you're awake. You've had quite a rough time, I'd wager."_

_"M-my eyes…will…will they be okay?" I whispered, still fingering the bandages covering my face. I couldn't even respond to the nurse's statement. I was gripped with panic; my eyes...something I had taken for granted all my life. What if they were gone, I had no idea what I would do. _

_"I'm…sorry. We tried everything, but the curse had taken its toll. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you won't be able to see again."_

_My heart plummeted. I'd never again be able to see the mountains I loved so much, never able to see my reflection, never able to see where I was going, never able to see what I was writing, never able to see what I was cooking, never able to see *his* face. I felt tears trickle down my cheeks, pooling in the rough fabric wrapped around my face, as my breath caught in my throat._

_The nurse must have noticed my distress, because she tried to comfort me, "but you'll of course be able to live a semi-normal life. Lots of blind people do, you know. Your other senses will grow stronger. Don't worry."_

_That only made me cry harder. I would be eternally alone in this darkness. "Can you at least take off the bandages?"_

"_I'm sorry but I can't. There was some scarring from the spell that still needs to heal."_

_Great, I thought, now I would be blind __**and**__ hideous. No one in their right mind would ever love me. I flopped back on the pillows, turning onto my side and curling into a ball._

_"But, there was a man, rather handsome, I must say, who stayed by your side for almost a week. He said that he had to leave and go back to work, but told me to let you know that he said he would visit you later."_

_"Charlie," I whispered. So he was alright. Thank Merlin. I don't know what I would have done had he been hurt._

_"Yes, I do believe he said his name was Charlie."_

_He had said he would visit me. I couldn't let that happen. I was probably hideous, even though I couldn't see myself, I knew that I had been disfigured. I didn't want Charlie to see me like this. I had to get away from here. I had to leave._

_"Please, don't let him in if he comes to see me. Don't tell him where I am. I- I don't want him to see me like this. Please," I implored._

_"Are you sure? He seemed to care for you very much. I'm sure he wouldn't care what you look like," the nurse tried to console me, but I would hear none of it. Who was she to try and tell me that he cared for me or what he would think? She did not know him; she couldn't be sure and I refused to let my hopes up only to have them crushed._

_"I'm sure. It's better this way. A clean break, as it were. Just…please. Let me out of here. I can't stay here. Anywhere else is better. Please." I needed to be alone. I couldn't handle this. My life had literally fallen apart in a matter of a week. _

_I would go somewhere where no one would find me; I would go to number 13 Grimmauld Place, my old family home. I knew that the home next to it had once belonged to the Black family, and I was sure that at least there I would not be found, as the Black family had been abandoned, last I had heard of it._

_"I do not think that would be wise, but if that is really what you want, I will try to arrange it," she said, and judging by her footfalls, she left the room._

_I sat there, waiting for her, my mind blank, my emotions gone. I was numb, feeling nothing. I listened to the ticking of the clock, the rolling of wheels on carts passing by in the hall outside my room._

_A while later, my nurse returned, "You're free to go. I checked with your healer and he said that your scars are fairly well healed, despite what I told you earlier, so you should be fine to go. I'll take off your bandages."_

_I sat there, completely still as she unwrapped the gauze from around my head. I don't know what I was expecting; whether or not I expected to magically regain my sight, but a feeling of despair and hopelessness swept over me when I realized that nothing had changed; I was blind. I felt my face. I could feel the ragged scars that had once been cuts. I must be truly hideous, grotesque. I would hide myself from the world. It would be in everyone's best interest._

And that is how I came to be here, sitting in the kitchen of number 13 Grimuald Place, playing with my food. Since I left St. Mungo's, I had been here for about 7 months, and not once in that time, had I left the house. Our old house elf, Tinker, had stayed behind long after my parents had moved out, and was more than willing to fetch me food and anything else I found myself in need of.

My schedule was mundane and I felt myself lose without a purpose in this world. I would wake up every morning at 9 AM, attempt to make myself breakfast, undoubtedly mess it up, leaving me crying while Tinker prepared me something. Then I would walk to the couch and lay there, listening to the radio until 2 PM, at which time Tinker called me into the kitchen for lunch. After eating, I would sit down at the piano and play until dinner, after which I showered and went back to bed, only to repeat the schedule the next day.

Throughout this whole ordeal, the piano had been my only source of solace. I would play for hours each day, pouring my depression into the keys, the same haunting melody played over and over. I had written some songs, but I could not in any way make a record of them. I could not see to write sheet music. They were mine and mine alone. This seemed to be the one thing that I did not need my sight to do. Actually, it seemed that my piano playing had improved since I had lost my sight. I now played from feeling, instead of relying on sheet music.

Still, I missed human contact. My self-inflicted solitude was getting to me. If it weren't for Tinker, I was convinced that I would go insane. Despite the fact that my parents were considered to be blood-traitors, they raised me with all the harshness that a pure-blood family would. I grew up constantly being told that I wasn't good enough, and through my childhood, Tinker would come to my room at night bearing a cookie and some warm milk. She was the only one to show me any kindness, and I would do my best to make sure that I was just as kind to her. I didn't care if she was a house elf. To me, she was family.

I went through my routine day after day, until one day, something changed. I was sitting by the window, basking in the rare sunlight when I heard a "pop," outside, signaling that someone had just apparated into the area. I was curious. After having concealed myself in this house for over 7 months, I wanted to go out. I wanted to see who was there, but if it was a Death Eater, I would have no way of knowing.

Throwing caution to the wind, I opened the door. After my self-inflicted lonliness, I needed an escape, if even for only a few minutes.

"Tinker, I'm going outside. Someone's here."

"Missy, is it safe? Tinker worries about Missy. She is too lonely. Maybe people here are nice. Maybe Missy will find friends."

"Tinker, if anything happens to me, get out of here. You're basically already free, but I swear, you must leave if anything, **anything**, happens to me." I wanted to at least protect her. I would feel awful if I was the cause of her death.

"Be careful Missy. Tinker will be watching, making sure Missy is safe," she whispered, coming up behind me.

I stepped outside, grabbing onto the railing for support. I nervously descended the stairs, hoping that I wouldn't fall down.

I heard two distinct voices, "What's the Order of the-?" one of them began.

"Not here, boy!" snarled the other, "Wait till we're inside!"

I heard the rustling of parchment and smelled something burning. I felt eyes on me, "Who are you?" the first asked shakily.

"My name's Katrina Westing. Who are you?" I asked, now worried slightly, but I had heard one of them mention the Order. I could only hope that they were talking about the Order of the Phoenix. When I had graduated, I helped convey news to the Order, as my job often let me in on inside information that would otherwise go unknown.

"Katrina Westing? You can't tell? It's me, Ha-" he was cut off by a third voice.

"Shhh. Do you really think it wise to say your name? If you know her, bring her in with us. Think about what you've just memorized," the voice said quietly.

"Come on, Katrina, you can bring your elf too." I suddenly recognized the voice. It was Harry Potter. I had met him a few times on holiday at the Weasley's home. Knowing the situation at home, Charlie often invited me to stay with him and his family during our school years, when I had met his family and their friends, including Harry. I sighed. So much for Charlie not finding out about me.

"Thank you. And don't worry, I recognize your voice," I said. I didn't have to see him to know he was confused. Obviously anyone seeing him would know who he was so naturally, he must have been confused when I said I recognized his voice.

I heard a grinding sound and I knew that number 12 Grimmauld Place was making its appearance. I knew that the muggles had not heard anything. The stereo coming from number 11 thudded on.

"Come on, Katrina, we're going inside," Harry whispered.

"Could one of you help me in? I- I don't know where the stairs or door is," I whispered, suddenly embarrassed of my blindness. I knew I probably looked like crap. I couldn't apply makeup anymore, couldn't do my hair, which just cascaded down my shoulders in a busy mess.

"Of course," Harry said, approaching me and grabbing my hand, "Katrina? Are you alright?"

It must have been pretty dark for him to not have noticed my face yet. "Harry, when we're inside, look at me. Look at my face. You'll have your answer." I knew it was cryptic at best, but I didn't want to say it. I couldn't admit it.

"Come on, hurry," growled Moody, prodding us to get us to move.

Harry led me up the worn stone steps, opening the door for me. I grabbed the door trying to get my bearings, feeling that the knocker shaped like a twisted serpent. There appeared to be no keyhole or even letterbox.

Someone next to me withdrew his wand and tapped the door once. Many loud, metallic clicks and what sounded like the clatter of a chain banged loudly, before the door creaked open.

"Get in quick, Harry. You too, Katrina, was it?" the man whispered, "But don't go far inside and don't touch anything, alright?"

We stepped over the threshold. I could smell damp, dust, and a rotting smell that was almost sweet. Clearly, the building was in disrepair. I could hear the others filing in behind us.

"Oh, Katrina, before I forget, these are Lupin, Moody, and Tonks," he said.

"Harry, I'm going to need each of them to speak so I can put a voice with the name," I whispered.

"What? Why?"

"Remember how I told you to look at me once we were inside? Well, go ahead. Look." I nervously awaited his reaction.

I heard him draw his breath, "Katrina…what happened to you?"

"I was attacked, Harry. I was tortured by Death Eaters. They used the cruciatus curse, then used sectumsempra on me. It cut up my face, my eyes. I'm blind now. I lost my sight because of those bloody bastards," I cursed. This was the first time I had felt angry about what had happened. Gone was the sense of helplessness, and it was replaced by pure rage for the injustice they had done.

"I-I don't know what to say. I'm sorry. Truly." Harry said. I could tell he was sincere. I just nodded in return, not particularly in the mood to reply to him.

I was introduced to the others, hearing them speak, and I think I got the names matched to voices. I was still embarrassed though. I had gone so long without human contact. It would be difficult to get used to it again. I missed my solitude.

"Now stay still, everyone, while I give us a bit more light in here," Moody whispered.

I could hear hushed voices that gave me an odd feeling of foreboding. I felt like I had entered the house of a mortally ill person. There was a hissing sound, then I could only assume that old gas lamps were lit along the walls because Harry let out an audible sigh of relief.

At that point, all I wanted to do was hide my face. I was ashamed, embarrassed. I didn't want anyone to see me. I knew from Harry's reaction that I must be truly disfigured.

Just as I was about to ask if there was anywhere I could hide and stay so that I could avoid being seen by anyone else, I heard footsteps coming down the hall.

"Oh, Harry, it's lovely to see you!" Mrs. Weasley whispered. I had recognized her voice immediately. "You're looking peaky; you need feeding up, but you'll have to wait a bit for supper, I'm afraid…"

I heard her gasp, probably as she took in my appearance, "Katrina? Katrina Westing? Could that be you? Oh dear, my dear girl, what on earth happened to you? Charlie said you had been hurt, but he didn't mention this. You disappeared, we thought you were dead," She pulled me into a motherly hug, almost crushing me. "My dear, you're so thin. What happened to you? You had such a lovely body? Have you been eating?"

"Mrs. Weasly, she's a bit…sensitive, I can imagine, about what happened. She said she was attacked by Death Eaters. She lost her sight," Harry whispered.

"He's right. Death Eaters did attack me. I've been hiding since then. No one should have to see my face. I probably look like a troll. As for my weight, I haven't had much of an appetite as of late. I haven't done much of anything, really," I replied, turning away fromher.

"Dear you **absolutely do not** look anything like a troll. You're still the same beautiful girl that you've always been. Now I you'll excuse me, the meeting is going on, only for members of the Order, of course. Ron and Hermione are upstairs, you two can wait with them until the meeting's over and then we'll have dinner. And keep your voice down in the hall," she added in an urgent whisper.

"Why," I questioned.

"I don't want to wake anything up."

"Why'd you—"

"I'll explain later, I've got to hurry, I'm supposed to be at the meeting—I'll just show you where you'll be sleeping. Katrina, do you mind sleeping with the twins? We weren't expecting you, dear."

"It's fine, Mrs. Weasley. Fred and George are always welcome company," I smiled.

She led us quietly through the house. Harry whispered to me about everything we passed, curtains, mounted heads on plaques, which to me was completely grotesque.

"Mrs. Weasley, why-"

"Ron and Hermione will explain everything, dear, I've really got to dash," she replied distractedly. "There," she said once we had reached the second landing, "Harry, you're the door on the right. I'll call you when it's over. Katrina, Ginny can show you to Fred and George's room."

I heard her footsteps hurring down the stairs again.

"Harry, I actually think I'm just going to head upstairs. I don't think I'm quite ready to face anyone else just yet," I whispered.

"Alright. Do you need me to help you up there?" He asked, genuinely concerned.

"Ahh..no, thanks. I think I can make it."

"If you need anything, just call my name, alright?"

I nodded and made my way towards the end of the hall, trailing my hand along the wall to try and figure out where I was. Thankfully, the house was set up very similarly to how mine had been and I found my way to the next set of stairs relatively easily. I took the stairs one at a time, careful not to trip or step on anything.

Suddenly I heard a loud crash, "Uh…George tripped, it's nothing, Mum, we'll be right there," Fred called. I laughed at the fact that he thought I was his mum, but then I realized that they would be coming out any second and I tried to dash down the corridor to hide in a room where they couldn't see me, but before I had even moved an inch, I felt a gust as the door swung open.

"You're not Mum," Fred intoned. "Come here, turn around. I don't know who you are."

I tried to walk away from him, hiding my face all the while, but he grabbed my arm and turned me around, "Whaaa? Woah. What happened to your face?"

Tears stung my eyes as I struggled to turn away. "Very tactful Fred. You'll get all the ladies like that," George drawled. "Honestly, her face isn't that bad. A few scars, sure, but still pretty all the same."

"Fred? George? Do you really not recognize me? I know it's been a while, but I had hoped that at least you two would understand," my voice quavered, as I fought back tears.

"Wait…I know that voice. But, no…we thought you were dead...Katrina?"

I simply nodded instead of responding. I didn't trust myself not to cry so I stuck with the tacit response.

"Your eyes, they're so blue, a side effect of a spell maybe?... Oh, Merlin, you're blind, aren't you?" George asked. He always was the more perceptive of the two. On holidays spent with the Weasleys, I had grown especially close to the twins when Charlie was busy. Besides Charlie, they were probably my favorite members of the family.

"I assume Charlie told you about the Death Eater attack?" I couldn't tell if he nodded or not, but I continued anyway, "It left me blind. I know you thought I was dead, but I was really just next door, actually. I-I haven't really dealt with this very well. This is the first time in 7 months I've left the house, let alone talked to anyone," I admitted, a bit ashamed.

"Well we should owl Charlie then. He'll be ecstatic to see you," Fred said. I could hear the smile in his voice.

I balked. "No, please don't. I don't want him to see me like this. I'm hideous. I know that. I couldn't bear it if he saw me."

"Kat," George said, the amusement evident in his voice, "If you cant see,"

"Then how do you know you're hideous," Fred finished. "And…"

"Us being able to see, can assure you," George continued.

"That you are not, in fact, hideous."

"You just look more…"

"Rugged. It's a good look for you really. I'm sure…"

"Charlie would say the same," finished Fred.

"You know how confusing it is when you finish each other's sentences, don't you?" I questioned, a smile forming involuntarily on my face.

As George was about to respond, we heard yelling coming from a level down. Fred and George grabbed my arms, "Let's pop down and see what the fuss is about," they said before apparating us down.

"Hello Harry, we thought we heard your dulcet tones."

"You don't want to bottle up your anger like that, Harry," said Fred, "there might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn't hear you."

I couldn't help but to grin.

"Hi Fred, George, Katrina," Hermione and Ron said.

"Hey you two," I replied quietly. I wondered why they had not mentioned my face. Everyone else had so far, but I figured it out when Harry gently squeezed my arm. I figured that he had let them know. I made a mental note to thank him later. It was nice not to have to answer questions every time, feeling self-conscious as I had been apt to do as of late.

We moved to the balcony where Fred and George used a new invention of theirs called "Extendable Ears."

Ginny soon joined us and we listened intently.

"Is Bill here," Harry asked, "I thought he was working in Egypt?"

"He applied for a desk job so he could come home and work for the Order," said Fred. "He says he misses the tombs, but," he smirked, "there are compensations…"

"What d'you mean?" I asked, curious. It was nice to hear news of people that I hadn't heard of in a while. Being stuck in my old family home hadn't given me much of a chance to hear about what was going on out in the world.

"Remember old Fleur Delacour?" said George. "She's got a job at Gringotts to _eemprove 'er Eeenglish_-"

"-And Bill's been giving her a lot of private lessons," sniggered Fred.

Elbowing me lightly, George said, "Charlie's in the order too, but he's still in Romania. Dumbledore wants as many foreign wizards brought in as possible, so Charlie's trying to make contacts on his days off."

My heart leaped. How I missed him. I longed to see him, but I couldn't stand the idea of rejection. I knew that he didn't love me, and my scars would surely only serve to make me even more unlovable.

"Couldn't Percy do that?" I asked. The last I had heard, he was working in the Department of International Magical Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic.

"Whatever you do, don't mention Percy in front of Mum and Dad," Ron said in a tense voice.

"Why not?" Harry queried.

"Because every time Percy's name's mentioned, Dad breaks whatever he's holding, and Mum starts crying," Fred said.

"It's been awful," Ginny said. I could hear the sadness in her voice.

"Percy and Dad had a row," Fred said, "I've never seen Dad row with anyone like that. It's normally Mum who shouts…"

"It was the first week back after term ended," Ron said. "We were about to come and join the order. Percy came home and told us he'd been promoted."

"We were all surprised," said George, "because Percy got into a load of trouble about Crouch, there was an inquiry and everything. They said Percy ought to have realized Crouch was off his rocker and informed a superior. But you know Percy, Crouch left 'im in charge, he wasn't going to complain…"

"So how come they promoted him?"

"That's what we wondered," said Ron, who apparently seemed all too eager to keep a semblance of 'normal' conversation going now that Harry had stopped yelling, "He came home really pleased with himself—even more pleased that usual if you can imagine that—and told Dad he'd been offered a position in Fudge's own office. A really good one for someone only a year out of Hogwarts—Junior Assistant to the Minister. He expected Dad to be all impressed, I think."

"Only Dad wasn't," Fred stated grimly.

"Apparently Fudge has been storming around the Ministry checking that nobody's having any contact with Dumbledore," said George.

I sat there, drinking in the news. I hadn't heard any of this, considering that I could no longer read, and the radio didn't really report any of this. I had gone without news for almost 7 months. Thinking about it, though did make me miss my old job, though.

"Dumbledore's name's mud with the Ministry these days, see," said Fred. "They all think he's just making trouble saying You-Know-Who's back."

"Dad says Fudge has made it clear that anyone who's in league with Dumbledore can clear out their desks," said George.

"Trouble is, Fudge suspects Dad, he knows he's friendly with Dumbledore, and he's always thought Dad's a bit of a weirdo because of his Muggle obsession-"

"What's this got to do with Percy?" I asked, feeling confused, feeling like I had missed something important.

"I'm coming to that. Dad reckons Fudge only wants Percy in his office because he wants to use him to spy on the family—and Dumbledore"

Someone, I think it was Harry, let out a low whistle.

"Bet Percy loved that."

Ron laughed, but it was hollow, more rueful, "He went completely berserk. He said—well he said loads of terrible stuff. He said he's been having to struggle against Dad's lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry and that Dad's got no ambition and that's why we've always been—you know—not had a lot of money, I mean-"

I could tell that this was a difficult subject for him. Growing up, I had always had plenty of money, but once I was out of school, my parents had told me I was on my own. I knew full well what it was like to struggle to make rent, to not have enough money for food, even. "What?" I said in absolute disbelief.

"I know," said Ron quietly, "and it got even worse. He said Dad was an idiot to run around with Dumbledore, that Dumbledore was heading for trouble and Dad was going to go down with him, and that he—Percy—knew where his loyalty lay, and it was with the Ministry. And if Mum and Dad were going to become traitors to the Ministry he was going to make sure everyone knew he didn't belong to our family anymore. And he packed his bags the same night and left. He's living here in London now."

I had always thought Percy was a bit of a git, but this was a whole new level, even for him. I couldn't stand even thinking of him. What a jerk. He didn't know what it was like to live without family, I thought bitterly. He was an idiot for giving it up so easily.

"But Percy _must_ know Voldemort's back," Harry said very slowly. "He's not stupid, he must know your mum and dad wouldn't risk everything without proof-"

"Yeah, well your name got dragged into the row," Ron said, sounding quite guilty. "Percy said the only evidence was your word and…I dunno…he didn't think it was enough."

I honestly couldn't believe my ears. Percy was a complete prat; a total wanker.

"Harry, have you been reading the _Daily Prophet_?" Hermione asked. My heart dropped. I used to work for them. I wondered just how bad this would be.

"Well, they're writing about you as though you're this deluded attention-seeking person who thinks he's a great tragic hero or something. They keep slipping in snide comments about you. If some far-fetched story appears they say something like 'a tale worthy of Harry Potter' and if anyone has a funny accident or anything it's 'let'shope he hasn't got a scar on his forehead or we'll be asked to worship him next-'"

"Harry, I'm so sorry. That's awful I can't help but feel some responsibility for this. After all, I used to work for them. Maybe if I had stayed, I could have changed this," I said.

"Katrina, don't even think this is your fault. They're in denial. What matters is that you're here. Honestly, I don't even know how much of a difference you could have made there anyway, considering that it seems that all of them are against me. They might have started writing things about you too." Harry gave me a light hug. I still felt a little guilty, but his words comforted me some.

"And of course, they didn't report a word about the dementors attacking you," said Hermione, "Someone's told them to keep that quiet. That should've been a really big story, out-of-control dementors. They haven't even reported that you broke the International Statue of Secrecy – we thought they would, it would tie in so well with this image of you as some stupid show-off—we think they're biding their time until you're expelled, then they're really going to go to town—I mean, _if_ you're expelled, obviously."

"You really shouldn't be, not if they abide by their own laws, there's no case against you," I pointed out.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps coming up their stairs became audible. I assume that Fred or George gave the Extendable Ear a tug to hide it, and then apparated away. Mrs. Weasley appeared in the doorway seconds later.

"The meeting's over, you can come down and have dinner now, everyone's dying to see you two, Harry and Katrina."

We trooped downstairs, me at the back, carefully holding onto the banister, descending very slowly, careful not to fall. Back at my home, I had fallen too many times to count. Going down the stairs when you're blind isn't easy at all. I tended to miss a step then go falling down. It wasn't a pleasant experience and had left me with many bruises.

"Snape never eats here," Ron whispered quietly to Harry and me. "Thank Merlin. C'mon."

"We're eating in the kitchen," Mrs. Weasley whispered. I honestly wondered what was going on with all the whispering. "Harry, if you'll just tiptoe with Katrina across the hall, it's through this door here-"

CRASH!

"_Tonks!_"

"I'm sorry!" wailed Tonks. I assumed she had knocked over something like an umbrella stand or rubbish bin.

Whatever said next was drowned out by an earsplitting screech. It was a portrait of old Mrs. Black. She screamed her lungs out, "_Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers!"_

Tonks kept apologizing, and a great effort was made to shut up the portrait.

Then I heard a voice that I had not heard since I was a child, "I said—shut – UP!"

Someone must have closed the curtains again because the horrible screeching stopped.

"Hello, Harry, I see you've met my mother," he said gruffly, "Oh, and who is this with you?"


	3. Chapter 3

True Love is Blind Chapter 3

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

_Just a quick A/N: So for those of you obsessed Harry Potter fans out there, I'm sure you know that Deathly Hallows Part 2 comes out in July (the 15th here in America), and I recently found a video that there is a petition to play at the end of the movie. I honestly think this is the best fan video I've ever seen and I'll link it here: .com/watch?v=gWKEXvtsWRE&feature=player_embedded. I am in no way affiliated with the maker of the video, but I think it needs to be shared. It's not just a tribute, it's like a memorial to the series, and it actually makes me cry like a baby (or like I've just watched Titanic on replay for half a day...true story). But give it a watch, and if you really like it, sign the petition. Hopefully the petition gets enough signatures to have it play. It'll be the perfect ending to the series. And on that note, I'm devestated that this is the end; my childhood will be over the minute the last credit fades from the screen. Anyone else feel the same way, or am I just way too invested in this?_

_Also, thanks to Brook-Lucas-Fan-23 for their review :) I'm glad people are liking my story. Feedback is always appreciated._

_Now enough of my babbling. Here's the new chapter._

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><p>"Your-" Harry queried. I, of course, knew exactly who the portrait was of, and why it was here. Harry, though, apparently was not aware of the fact that this was Sirius' old family house.<p>

"My dear old mum, yeah," said Sirius, my Uncle. We were, of course, related through the long line of purebloods that linked nearly every pureblood family in existance today. I honestly hated all the pretentiousness that came with being a pureblood, and I honestly could not care less about anyone's blood status. "We've been trying to get her down for a month now, but we think she put a Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of the canvas. Let's get downstairs, quick, before they wake up again."

"But what's a portrait of your mother doing here?" Harry asked. I of course, knew the answer. This was Sirus' old family home. So naturally, there would be a picture of his mother here. There was at one point, a picture of Sirius as well, but it had most likely been taken down as a result of his running away.

"And Harry, you still haven't introduced this young lady," Sirius intoned. I was hurt. I knew that I shouldn't have been, but I could not help the pang of pain that gripped my heart. Sure, it had been years since I had seen him, but I had hoped that he would have at least somewhat recognized me. Then again, my face was different now...could I really be that disfigured that I was virtually unrecognizable? "And about my mother, hasn't anyone told you? This was my parents' house, but I'm the last Black left so it's mine now. I offered it to Dumbledore for headquarters."

"Sirius, this is Katrina Westing," Harry replied.

"Katrina? They said you were dead. Why I haven't seen you since you were about three years old, but love," I smiled at the affectionate nickname. Out of me entire family, he was the only one to ever treat me with kindness and warmheartedness. My parents, much like the Black family, was not strictly part of the Death Eater society, but they did believe that they had the right idea, pureblood superiority and all that crap, "what has happened to you? You look…different," I could tell he was trying to be as sensitive as possible, but at this point I was so fed up with it.

"I was attacked, alright? Those bloody Death Eaters cursed me, and now I've lost my sight. Alright? I understand. I'm disfigured. I'm blind. I'm a cripple. Honestly, I'm sick of being asked. I know how awful I must look, but I really don't need everyone and my Uncle pointing it out to me. There's a reason I didn't leave me house for seven months, Sirius, there's a _reason_ everyone thought I was dead," I spat, turning around and attempting to find my way to the stairs.

On my way there, I bumped into a solid figure. Funny, I thought, blinking back tears, because I hadn't heard anyone come in and everyone else was already in the kitchen. Could I have accidentally walked into furniture? That was unlikely, as this figure was eminating heat, and most definitely was alive.

The mystery person grabbed me by the arms, holding me out at arms length. "Kat? Is it really you?" the person whispered. My heart beat at a million kilometers per hour. I _knew_ that voice. I'd know it anywhere. It was *him*. Oh Merlin, what was I going to do? The one person I had hoped to avoid was here. I was by no means ready to confront him, not looking like I did. Not now. Maybe not ever, but definitely, certainly, positively _not now_.

"C-Charlie?" I whispered, not wanting to believe it. I quickly tried to avert my face. "Don't look at me, Charlie. Please. I'm hideous. Please, please, please, look away." I figured that at least he might have listened to me. Though he did not normally like to show it, Charlie was incredibly kind and caring, at least to me, anyway. He might seem a little rough-around-the-edges, working with dragons in a faraway country, but when it was just him and me, it was like a completely different person; a Charlie Weasley that only I knew.

"Oh, Kat, what has happened to you?" he whispered, drawing me close. My breath hitched in my throat. I had to struggle not to melt in his arms.

I started hyperventilating. I couldn't do this. I had to get away. I couldn't let myself dare to dream, dare to hope. Don't dream, don't loose sight of who you are, who _he_ is, don't remember that rush of joy you get when just being around him, I told myself, don't wish, don't even start because wishing only wounds the heart. He deserved someone whole. A beautiful girl who could see him, appreciate him; I wasn't that girl. I would _never_ be that girl.

"Charlie, I can't do this. Please let go of me. Don't look at me, please. Don't look at me. Please, I can't do this," I was sobbing now, trying to pull myself from his grasp. I knew I was probably completely incoherent, but at that moment, I could not have cared any less. That animalistic instinct of fight-or-flight took over, and I had to fly. I needed to get out of there.

I struggled in his grasp, freeing my hands and placing them on his chest, trying to push him away from me. In shock, he let go of me and I ran to the stairs, disappearing up them in a flash, locking myself in the first room I found and finally letting out the tears that had been threatening to overflow ever since I had heard the sound of his voice asking me what was wrong.

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><p>Charlie was dumbfounded. For seven months, he had thought Katrina was dead. Those were, without a doubt, the hardest and longest months of his life. He had tried to contemplate how he would live without the love of his life. He smiled ruefully, he was in love with her. He was in love with her, and he had been thick enough to not even realize it until she was dead, rather, supposedly dead. He was an idiot for not realizing it sooner, for not taking the chance to spend every moment with her. And now, she was being so cold. Could it be that she no longer wanted to see him?<p>

They say you don't know what you've got until it's gone. For Charlie, that was certainly true. He had been so stupid. He didn't see what was right in front of him; the girl he had been searching for, but never found, had always been by his side.

But why had Katrina ran away from him so quickly? He hadn't even had a chance to see her face, that beautiful face, plump pink lips, sparkling brown eyes, peachy complexion, the cheeks that blushed a beautiful shade of light pink when he embarrassed her. If it was true what they said and eyes were windows to the soul, then her soul was full of love. It amazed him how something as simple as eyes could turn into something magical, mysterious, and so captivating when he looked at Katrina.

"What did I do? Is she still mad at me?" he wondered out loud.

"Oi, mate," Fred said, approaching his older brother, "Katrina's going through a really difficult time. Go talk to her, but remember she's different now. She's broken. Be careful what you say to her. Let her alone for a while, until after dinner at least. Give her time to sort out her feelings."

Charlie was astounded. He was Fred's older brother. He was the one who was supposed to be giving advice, yet here Fred was giving what could be the most important advice he had ever received. He was taken aback by this, especially considering that almost ninety-percent of the time, he was a jokester. This sudden serious comment was surprising, but welcome all the same. He only hoped that some day he could do the same for his brother.

"Thanks, Fred, I appreciate it," he said, a bit choked up. "But what d'you mean she's 'broken'?"

"That's not for me to tell. You'll have to talk to her. It's something she needs to be the one to tell you."

"Alright," Charlie said, more worried then he was before.

"Don't worry. When we mentioned you, her face lit up," Fred consoled.

At least that made Charlie feel better. He and Fred made their way into the kitchen where dinner was under way.

"Sit down, you two," said Sirius, then turned to Harry. "You've met Mundungus, haven't you?"

The pile of rags jerked up suddenly, "Some'n say m' name?" Mundungus mumbled, "I 'gree with Sirius…"

He raised a very dirty hand in the air, almost like he was voting. Charlie studied him carefully, noting that his eyes were unfocused and looked droopy and bloodshot.

"The meeting's over, Dung," said Sirius, as they all sat down around him at the table. "Harry's arrived."

"Hey, Harry," Charlie said.

"Charlie, I thought you were in Romania," Harry nodded in his direction.

"I was, but I try to check in here every so often. Can't miss too much,"

"Eh? Said Mundungus, peering at Harry, "Blimey, so 'e 'as. Yeah…you all right, 'arry?"

"Yeah," muttered Harry, obviously not interested in Mundungus, who now appeared to be smoking a pipe he lit with his wand.

"For the last time, Mundungus," Mrs. Weasley called angrily, "will you please _not_ smoke that thing in the kitchen, especially not when we're about to eat. Oh, and welcome home, Charlie, dear."

"Thanks, Mum," Charlie tried to smile at her, but gave up after a few seconds.

"Ah, right, sorry Molly."

Mundungus stowed his pipe in his pocket, but the smell of burning socks remained.

"And if you want dinner before midnight, I'll need a hand," Mrs. Weasley said to the room, not speaking to anyone particular, "No, you can stay where you are Harry, same for you, Charlie. You've both had a long journey."

"What can I do, Molly?" Tonks asked enthusiastically. Charlie had to suppress a laugh. Tonks was extremely clumsy and her help would almost definitely result in some sort of disaster.

"Er—no, it's all right, Tonks, you have a rest too, you've done enough today-"

"No, no, I want to help," said Tonks brightly, knocking over a chair while she hurried to help Ginny, who was collecting utensils from a cupboard.

Again, Charlie suppressed a laugh.

Soon enough, all sorts of knives were chopping meat and vegetables, supervised by Mrs. Weasley. She stirred a cauldron hanging over a fire, while Mr. Weasley and the others took out plates, goblets, and some more food from the pantry.

Charlie turned to face Harry, "Had a good summer so far, then?"

"No, not really. It's been lousy," said Harry.

Sirius interrupted, "Don't know what you're complaining about, myself."

"_What?_" said Harry.

"Personally, I'd have welcomed a dementor attack. A deadly struggle for my should would have broken the monotony nicely. You think you've had it bad, at least you've been able to get out and about, stretch your legs, get into a few fights… I've been stuck inside for a month."

"Better than poor Katrina," Harry said a bit more harshly than he had intended, "She's been stuck inside for over 7 months."

"What?" Charlie exclaimed.

"She hasn't left her house in over 7 months. She's been really depressed."

"What's going on? What does everyone know that I don't?" Charlie questioned.

The kitchen was silent. No one knew quite how to break it to him. "Damnit! Someone tell me what's going on! I have a right to know!" he said slamming his fist on the table.

"We know this must be difficult for you, Charlie, but it's not our place to tell you," Mrs. Weasley said, sympathetically, putting her hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off angrily.

Changing the subject, Harry said, "At least you've been aware of what's been going on."

"Oh yeah," Sirius said sarcastically, trying to distract Charlie from being angry, "Listening to Snape's reports, having to take all his snide hints that he's out there risking his life while I'm sat on my backside here having a nice comfortable time…asking me how the cleaning's going-"

"What cleaning?" Charlie and Harry asked at the same time.

"Trying to make this place fit for human habitation," said Sirius, "No one's lived here for ten years, not since my dear mother died, unless you count her old house-elf, and he's gone round the twist. Hasn't cleaned anything in ages."

"Sirius?" said Mundungus, who wasn't paying any attention to the conversation, but instead had been examining an empty goblet resting on the table. "This solid silver, mate?"

"Yeah," said Sirius, looking at him with extreme distaste, "Finest fifteenth-century goblin-wrought silver, embossed with the Black family crest."

"That'd come off, though," muttered Mundungus, polishing it with the cuff of his sleeve.

"Fred—George—NO JUST CARRY THEM!" Mrs. Weasley yelled.

Everyone turned and looked around, diving away from the table a second later. Fred and George had bewitched a large cauldron of stew that Mrs. Weasley had prepared, a flagon of butterbeer, as well as a heavy wooden breadboard with a knife, to hurtle through the air, coming straight towards them. The stew skidded along the table, coming to a halt just before the end, leaving a black burn on the finish of the wood. The butterbeer fell to the floor with a crash, spilling the foamy liquid everywhere. The knife slipped off the board and landed point down exactly where Charlie's hand had been only moments before.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" Mrs. Weasley screamed. "THERE WAS NO NEED—I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS—JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!"

"We were just trying to save a bit of time!" Fred defended, running forward and wrestling the bread knife out of the table. "Sorry Charlie…didn't mean to…"

"S'alright, Fred. No harm, no foul," Charlie laughed, really laughed, for the first time that night, Harry and Sirius joining in. Mundungus swore at the duo, getting back on his feet.

"None of your brothers caused this sort of trouble," Mrs. Weasley raged. "Bill didn't feel the need to apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't charm everything he met! Percy-"

At this, she caught her breath with a frightened look at Mr. Weasley who looked absolutely livid.

* * *

><p>Upstairs, I briefly wondered what the commotion was about. I had heard enough of Mrs. Weasley's yelling to figure out that Fred and George had caused some sort of commotion.<p>

I contemplated going down when I heard the heart laughter floating up the stairs. The smell of stew wafted up to greet me and my stomach growled. I was hungry. Perhaps I could just go down for a few minutes, just to grab something to eat. I could get something quickly and bring it back up here. That wouldn't be so bad.

But when remembering that Charlie was there immediately shrunk back against the bedboard. I couldn't face him again. I couldn't let him see me. As much as it would kill me to do so, I would have to avoid him at all costs.

Did I love him? Of course. But it was better this way. I couldn't get my hopes up. I couldn't handle the rejection, not from him. I would just have to hide away in here. I sighed. I might as well have stayed where I was. Had I known Charlie was going to be here…Oh, who was I kidding? Of course, I would have come here, even if he didn't see me. Just to hear his voice would be heaven.

* * *

><p>"Let's eat," Bill said quickly.<p>

"It all looks wonderful, Molly," said Lupin, ladling stew onto a plate and passing it to her.

There was an awkward silence, the only sound was the clinking of spoons against plates. Mrs. Weasley turned to Sirius, "I've been meaning to tell you, there's something trapped in that writing desk in the drawing room, it keeps rattling and shaking. Of curse it could just be a boggart, but I thought we ought to ask Alastor to have a look at it before we let it out."

Sirius was indifferent. "Whatever you like."

"The curtains in there are full of doxies too," she continued, "I thought we might try and tackle them tomorrow.

"I look forward to it," said Sirius, his voice sarcastic, but Harry wasn't sure if everyone else noticed it.

Charlie looked blankly across the table. Tonks was entertaining Ginny and Hermione by transforming her nose, mouth, hair, and eyes between bites. Her nose changed to a ducklike beak, then shrank to what seemed to be a mushroom, before sprouting mass amounts of hair. Apparently this was a relatively regularly occurrence because Hermione and Ginny started requesting their favorites.

Meanwhile, Mr. Wesley, Bill, and Lupin were discussing goblins intently.

"They're not giving anything away yet," said Bill. "I still can't work out whether they believe he's back or not. 'Course, they might prefer not to take sides at all. Keep out of it."

"I'm sure they'd never go over to You-Know-Who," said Mr. Weasley, shaking his head, "They've suffered losses too. Remember that goblin family he murdered last time, somewhere near Nottingham?"

Meanwhile, Charlie brooded on what could possibly caused Katrina's reaction to him earlier. Fred had said that her face lit up when he mentioned Charlie's name. She couldn't be mad if that had been true, but then why had she shied away from him, refused to show him her face, not even looking at him. She had called herself hideous. What could possibly have happened to his poor Katrina?

"I think it depends on what they're offered," said Lupin, breaking Charlie from his thoughts, "And I'm not talking about gold; if they're offered freedoms we've been denying them for centuries they're going to be tempted. Have you still not have and luck with Ragnok, Bill?"

"He's feeling pretty anti-wizard at the moment," replied Bill, "hasn't stopped raging about the Bagman business, he reckons the Ministry did a cover up-those goblins never got their gold from him, you know-"

A loud guffaw interrupted his sentence. Fred, George, Ron, and Mundungus were rolling around in their seats.

"…and then," chortled Mundungus, "and then, if you'll believe it, 'e says to me, 'e says, ' 'ere Dung, where didja get all them toad from? 'Cos some son of a Bludger's gone and nicked all mine!' And I says, 'Nicked all your toads, Will, what next? So you'll be wanting some more, then?' And if you'll believe me, lads, the gormless gargoyle buys all 'is own toads back orf me for twice what 'e paid in the first place-"

"I don't think we need to hear any more of your business dealings, thank you very much, Mundungus," Mrs. Weasley glared at him, while Ron slumped forward, howling with laughter.

"Beg pardon, Molly," said Mundungus, wiping his eyes, winking at Harry, "but, you know, Will nicked 'em orf Warty Harris in the first place so I wasn't really doing nothing wrong-"

"I don't know where you learned about right and wrong, Mundungus, but I do know that you've obviously missed quite a few crucial lessons," she said sharply.

Fred and George, by this point were laughing into their goblets of butterbeer, Fred hiccoughing. For some reason, Mrs, Weasley glared at Sirius before getting up and fetching a very large rhubarb crumble for their dessert.

Harry looked at Sirius questioningly, "Molly doesn't approve of Mundungus," whispered Sirius.

"How come he's in the order?" asked Harry, voicing Charlie's very question.

"He's useful, knows all the crooks—well, he would, seeing as he's one himself. He's also very loyal to Dumbledore, though, as he helped him out of a tight spot once. It pays to have someone like Dung around. He hears things we don't. But Molly thinks inviting him to stay for dinner is going too far. She hasn't forgiven him for slipping off duty when he was supposed to be tailing you."

Charlie was growing more and more agitated by the moment. He loved his mother's dessert, but he needed to talk to Katrina. Fred had said to give her some time, but surely this had been enough. He needed to sort things out with her, _now_, or he may just drive himself insane.

"Excuse me, Mum, everyone," he said, getting up to leave, "Dinner's been wonderful, and I would stay for dessert, but I have someone I need to talk to."

Of course, Fred knew exactly what he was talking about, but Mrs. Weasley and the others looked at him questioningly.

"Katrina, Mum. Or haven't you noticed that she's not here," Fred said.

"Oh my, she isn't. My goodness, the poor girl. Charlie, take this up to her, would you. The poor thing is near wasting away," Mrs. Weasley said, handing a bowl with a fair helping of crumble to Charlie.

Charlie accepted it, "I'll do that," he said, then whispered, "if she even agrees to see me."

This did not go unheard by the guests. Harry gave him a knowing look, "She will. Don't worry about it, mate."

Charlie sighed and walked up the stairs, suddenly nervous.

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><p>I sat in the room, curled in the blankets. I was afraid. I was in a strange house. That was bad enough in itself, but the fact that I couldn't see anything made it worse.<p>

There came a knock at the door and I screamed, jumping off the bed.

"Who is it?" I asked nervously.

"Kat, it's Charlie. Please let me in."

"I-I can't." I whispered. I was so afraid of him judging me. I didn't know what he would think of me and that scared me. I was scared that he would leave me, and I would be alone forever.

"Why not? Please just tell me why. Give me a reason," he was pleading with me. My heart broke. How could I keep this up. I couldn't push him away. As much as it hurt for him to see me, it hurt even more to know that I was upsetting him.

"I-I don't want you to look at me. I-I'm afraid."

"What are you afraid of? I've looked at you millions of times. What makes this different, Kat?" I could hear the desperation in his voice. It was killing me. I couldn't keep pushing him away. I didn't care about myself. If he didn't care, I would leave him alone no matter how much it hurt me, but knowing that I was hurting him…It killed me. I couldn't do it. I couldn't hurt him, I loved him too much to even consider that.

"I can't," I whispered.

"Kat?" Charlie pleaded.

"Please, Charlie. Please accept that I just can't."

I heard him hit the door frame. "God damnit, Katrina! Why are you pushing me away! Why can't you just let me in!"

"Charlie, please. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't deal with this right now. It's too much."

"Kat, please. I'm going back to Romania tomorrow. I can only stay for tonight. Don't let me leave without saying goodbye."

"You can say goodbye now," I said. I knew it was harsh, but I couldn't face him. If this was what it would take to get him to leave, then I would do whatever it took, no matter how much it hurt me. It was for the best. Best for him and for me. If I just kept telling myself that then maybe the hole in my heart would close up. Maybe the ever-growing ache in my chest would fade to numbness, the bittersweet void that had consumed my soul for the past seven months. If I couldn't feel, then I couldn't feel pain. I could do Charlie a favor. Do it for him, I told myself, do it for Charlie. I loved him, and it was exactly that reason that I needed to let him go.

"Kat. Why are you doing this to me? What did I do? Tell me, and I swear I'll make it right. Just please..." This was killing me. It wasn't his fault. It was mine. I couldn't face him, and now he was taking it upon himself. My heart was literally breaking into a million little pieces, and the worst part was that it was entirelly my own fault.

"Charlie. Please. It's not you. It's me. I've changed. You're still my best friend, but I'm different. I'm broken, Charlie, and I don't know how to fix myself," I whimpered.

"Then let me help. Let me fix you," he pleaded.

"I can't. I'm scared of what you'll say. Please just…give me some time."

"Alright, Kat."

"What?" I asked, astounded.

"I'll wait. I'll wait a hundred years. Two hundred. I'll wait for eternity if I have to... I just want my best friend back."

"Thank you, Charlie."

"You're welcome," he said, his footsteps retreating.

"I love you," I whispered into the emptiness once the gentle sound of his footsteps died down. I was alone. Again. But suddenly the darkness of this unfamilliar house did not seem as threatening. It enveloped me in its warm embrace, and I let myself enjoy, relish, the shelter that it gave me. It would be easier to hide in this darkness forever, escaping the pain that the real world brought. But no matter how comforting the pitch blackness was, I couldn't escape the thoughts that filled my idle mind. I was so stupid. Here he was, almost begging to see me, and I turned him away. But I couldn't change the fact that I was afraid.

I was hard, being in love with my best friend; a friend so handsome, brave, and caring, but also one who didn't love me back. Was my fear irrational? Possibly. I had never been attractive to begin with, and yet Charlie had stuck by my side. But surely, that would change once he saw my face. I had traced over the scars imbedded in my flesh, sure that they were revolting. I was beastly. The others were probably trying to be kind.

But Charlie…when I was younger, I had often dreamed of us getting married, starting our own reserve where we would train dragons, having our own brood of red-headed, freckled children, growing old together.

Now, those dreams were shattered. Even then, he was too good for me, but now, there was just no way that we could ever be together. Someone once said that true love is blind. I laughed ruefully at the irony. Whoever said that must have been extremely lucky. I was convinced that no one could love me, not like this.


	4. Chapter 4

True Love is Blind Chapter 4

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

**A/N: Thanks again to Brook-Lucas-Fan-23 for her review. And thanks to everyone else who favorited or subscribed to this story. It means a lot to me. It makes me smile to know people like my story :)**

**I try to update as frequently as possibly, but lately, things have been kind of busy. With mother's day coming up, I have to shop and help my dad make a lunch for my extended family. Also, my teachers have been piling on the work and projects. I've got a literature circle paper to write, an English research paper to do, chemistry research lab, video, and paper to do with my friend, so I'm busy.**

**On another note, my school's Relay for Life is next week and I'm super excited. It's kind of a personal and meaningful cause for me, since my step-grandmother passed away from lung cancer, and my other grandmother is currently fighting a relapse of her cancer. So if I don't get to update soon, I'm sorry. I'll try to update as soon as possible. Thanks for sticking with me.**

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><p>I heard heavy footfalls coming up the stairs; from what I could tell, there were multiple pairs of feet. Mrs. Weasley's distinct voice filled the corridor, "I want you all to go straight to bed, no talking. We've got a busy day tomorrow. I expect Ginny's asleep," she added and I almost laughed. Ginny was most certainly not asleep, as I had heard her complaining only moments ago, "so try not to wake her up."<p>

Silence filled the hall as I heard the others trudge towards their rooms. Then, in a soft voice, she added, "Has anyone seen Katrina? Is she alright?"

Charlie spoke up, "I don't know, Mum. She refused to let me into the room. She's locked herself in the room at the end of the hall," his voice cut out then, and I struggled to catch his next words, "I think I'll be going back to Romania now. She needs space, she said."

"Oh. Charlie, don't get too frustrated with her. The poor thing is confused. She's going through a hard time, but if she wants space, I think it'd be best to give it to her. Will you be stopping in anytime soon?"

"Not sure. It was hard enough to get off today to come here. With work on the reserve and these extra Order shifts, it's been difficult to even find time to sleep," he said, a bit ruefully, "Just…let me know how she is, alright?"

I could tell he was concerned, and that touched me. If only I weren't such a coward. I didn't know why I even cared. I was so sure that he wouldn't like me, so why did it matter to me if I was convinced? I knew the answer, of course; hope. I was stupid and hopeful that maybe he wouldn't care, as unlikely as that was.

"Of course. Be safe," Molly said, more quietly this time.

"I will. Bye, Mum. Tell everyone I said bye," he replied, walking down the stairs. I heard a 'pop' and knew he was gone. I sighed. I should have felt relieved, but instead, I felt even more alone. Pushing my love away only made my world seem all the more dark and desolate.

* * *

><p>"Asleep, yeah, right," muttered Fred right after Hermione had said goodnight to them, "if Ginny's not lying awake waiting for Hermione to tell her everything they said downstairs then I'm a flobberworm…"<p>

I had to laugh at Fred's comment, despite my dark mood. I couldn't help it, the word 'flobberworm' was funny enough in itself, but when Fred said it, it just sounded all the more amusing.

"All right, Ron, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said from right outside the door to the room in which I was currently hiding, "Off to bed with you both."

"Night," called Harry.

"Sleep tight," replied George. I could hear the humor in his voice. I only hoped for his sake that Mrs. Weasley did not pick up on it, or he would be in for an earful.

Thankfully, she must have been too tire to notice, or too tired to pick a fight with the twins, the latter being most probable. I heard her leave, going downstairs to join her husband and the others currently staying the night. Though I was not sure exactly who would be staying, I was certain that I did not want to risk going downstairs to grab a bite to eat. I was in no mood to face Mrs. Weasley, despite how kind and caring she was.

I had hoped that Fred and George would just leave me alone and go to the room I was supposed to share with them. They'd probably be up working on new experiments for items to sell at their shop.

I should have known that they wouldn't. I loved them both; they were brothers to me. Despite the fact that they were years younger than me, they often acted as older brothers to me, giving me advice about Charlie when he and I fought, threatening to murder my ex after he had told me he was only dating me for my breasts. I know girls like to be told that they are pretty, but to me, that was a major blow to my confidance. Were my breasts the only thing that he liked about me? I went into a downward spiral after that, and as my parents provided no support whatsoever, I probably would have resorted to desparate measures if it weren't for Charlie. (there is a link to a website with what Charlie and Katrina look like on my profile, for those of you who are curious or like a visual of the characters.)

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><p><em>When Charlie found out that he had said that, he was absolutely livid. To this day, I had never seen Charlie angrier than he w<em>_as at that very moment. _

_I ran into the Gryffindor common room, trying not to cry. _

_"Kat? What's wrong?" Charlie demanded upon seeing my face._

_"It's nothing," I said, trying to brush past him._

_Of course, I couldn't, as he was three times as strong as I was._

_"Tell me what's going on, Kat. Was it that wanker Smith?"_

_The tears escaped my eyes at the mention of his name. Charlie growled, "I'll kill him. I'll kill the bloody bastard," he repeated over and over._

_He stormed out of the Gryffindor common room, me at his heels, pleading with him to let it be. He refused. He stalked through the castle, fuming, until he came across my quite unfortunate ex. I would have felt sympathy for him, but after what he had said, I found it hard to feel any kind of positive or kind emotion towards him._

_Charlie had him cornered within seconds, fire in his eyes, pointing his wand at my ex's throat. "If you __**ever**__ disrespect Kat again, it __**will **__be __**the last thing you ever do**__. Do I make myself clear," he had growled._

_"Y-yes. Crystal clear," he gulped._

_Charlie whirled around, stopping only to glare at him over his shoulder one last time, before putting his arm around me and leading me back to the common room_.

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><p>Once Fred and George had found out, they took a slightly different approach, choosing instead to drop dungbombs on him. I actually almost felt sorry for him, again. After all, he did have to go around for a month smelling like a stable, but it was just too funny for me to feel bad for too long. Honestly, I think those three boys were part of the reason that I hadn't had much experience when it came to boys. The story of what had passed spread like wildfire around Hogwarts and boys were terrified when it came to dating me. I couldn't blame them, of course. Those boys could be quite intimidating when they wanted to.<p>

"Katrina?" there came a quiet knock at the door.

It was Fred who spoke, but I was sure George was with him as well. The nurse had been right; since losing my sight, my other senses had increased in strength. No matter how quiet someone was, I could tell how approximately near to me they were. I could hear better than most others. I could detect smells that others might not have sensed. It was truly extra-sensory perception. I was sure that it could be useful to the Order. It would be a definite advantage, me being able to sense other people around me, hear the quietest noises, I was sure that I could help. The only problem would be convincing the other members to let me help. They would probably say no due to my "disability". I hated being treated differently because of it. I could fend for myself; after all, I had for almost seven months.

"Yes?" I answered just as quietly.

"Will you come up to bed? You should sleep," this time George replied.

"Couldn't I just stay here? I'm not particularly in the mood to talk about anything."

"Then we won't talk. We'll just go straight to bed," Fred suggested lightly. I know he was trying to be funny, but I wasn't in the mood.

"I-I just want to be alone," I whispered.

"But that's so…lonely. Would you really leave your two favorite twins all alone in this scary old house?"

I couldn't help the slight smile that spread across my face. They were natural jokesters and I just could not resist their humor, no matter how hard I might try, "You're the only twins I know, you two."

"Well then we must be your favorites by default." Well, I couldn't argue with that logic.

"But then we're also her least favorites," George quipped, "considering that we're the only twins she knows."

"True, Forge, but obviously we're her favorites. Who could hate us?"

"Right you are, Gred, which is exactly why you should come with us, Katrina," George teased.

I was laughing at this point. I had always enjoyed their bantering. It was so entertaining to just sit back and watch them do their thing. "I'm not moving, Fred, George."

"Well then I suppose we'll just have to move her, won't we," Fred appeared in the doorway, I heard the door creak open. I could tell that he was grinning by the quality of his voice. I had become increasingly good at determining emotions based on the tone of people's voices.

Suddenly, before I had any time to react, I was picked up from the bed and scooped up into someone's arms. I wasn't quite sure who was carrying me, but I noted that these arms were distinctly different than Charlie's. Where he was muscular and well built, Fred and George were more lanky and lean, but still undoubtedly had muscle tone. I blushed. What if I was too heavy for them? That would be absolutely mortifying. I had never been skinny, and that made me self-conscious about my weight. I couldn't help but to be embarassed now that I would be carried up a flight of stairs.

"Katrina," my carrier, George, judging by his voice, whispered, "you're entirely too light. You can't weigh more than 35 or 36 kilos. Have you been eating? You're skin and bones."

"I've been trying to. I just haven't been very hungry lately. Plus…it's rather difficult to cook when you can't see anything. Sure, I can tell what things are based on their smell, but I can't tell what I'm cutting, and have ended up cutting myself quite often. Plus, I can't tell where the stove is; if I'm even putting food in the pot or pan, and I haven't the slightest clue when things are done. Tinker, my old family house elf, has been helping prepare food, but I just haven't been all that hungry," I admitted. I knew that I had lost a lot of weight, but that did not change my self-consciousness. I probably weighed a little more than half of what I had before, but why did I still feel like I was so heavy? I wasn't fat, it was muscle. My stomach was relatively flat, but I just had a different body type than most other girls.

"You need to eat, Kat. This isn't healthy. We can almost see your bones. You look…sick. Please, eat something. I'm sure Mum'd be more than happy to give you something even if it is a bit late," the twins implored.

"Fine, but not if she's asleep. I don't want to disturb her. She's done enough today," I conceded, knowing that I would never win against those two.

"Alright Forge, take her upstairs, I'll go ask Mum if there's anything left that she could have," Fred said to George, who carefully turned around, careful not to bang me into anything.

He shifted me in his arms, trying to get a sturdy grip. "You don't have to carry me, George. I'll walk," I said, not wanting him to hurt himself.

"Katrina, you weigh practically nothing. I've carried Fred up these stairs. He probably weights at least twice what you do. And as for being able to walk, I'm sure you are, but that's not an option right now. After all, I'm under Fred's direct orders, and we can't very well disobey him, now can we," he said playfully.

"Alright," I giggled. It was so easy to be happy around them. Despite the dark place I was in, both literally and figuratively, I found that they distracted me from that, and I welcomed that distraction. "But if you strain something, don't blame me. You're the one who insists on carrying me up a whole flight of stairs."

"Honestly, Katrina, you're not heavy. I can handle it. I may not be as strong as Charlie…" he trailed off, realizing what he had just said, "sorry. Sorry. I know how you fell about him right now…actually, I don't. Would you care to explain that particular aversion to my brother?"

"Can it wait until we're upstairs and Fred's back? I don't want to be explaining it over and over, alright?" At least talking about it to someone might help me sort out my feelings. After all, they were his brothers. I trusted them. I'd been friends with them for long enough. I should be able to at least talk to them a bit more freely.

"Sure. That sounds reasonable," he responded, letting a comfortable silence settle over us for a bit, "Wait. I've just thought of something. Could they have used the Conjunctivitus Curse on you? Could that be what's keeping you blind?"

"I don't think so. The healers said they tried every counter-spell they could think of. Honestly, I remember one of them screaming 'Sectumsempra,' but I've never heard of that curse before so I don't really know if there is a counter spell, but I'm guessing not, seeing as even the healers at St. Mungo's couldn't cure it. It was a good idea though," I said, not wanting him to feel bad. He was trying, and I didn't want him to feel bad because he couldn't fix my sight. It wasn't his fault. Truth be told, if it was anyone's fault, it was my own. I'd often been told that I was too stubborn, but according to Charlie, that was one of the things he liked most about me, 'As stubborn as a dragon,' he had once called me.

"Kat…can I ask you something? Promise you won't be offended," George said, almost nervously, which was highly unusual, especially for him.

"You want to know what it's like to be blind, don't you?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Only if you want to tell me…I can't even imagine how…hard that must be," he whispered. Most people would have been surprised to see George Weasley, prankster extrodinaire, being sincere and uncertain. I was used to it. Knowing the Weasley twins, I found that for their bright personalities and eternal positive outlook on life, they could be serious too. They knew when it was appropriate to joke and when to be sincere.

"You know when it's pitch dark and you can't see a thing at night?" I felt George nod. "Well that's what it's like for me all the time. Honestly, there are still days I wake up and nearly have a heart attack because I can't see anything…

"It's hard. It's so hard knowing I'll never see anyone's face again, knowing that on my wedding day, if anyone can stand to marry me when I look like this, I won't be able to see my future husband's face, knowing that when, if, I have children, I won't be able to look down and exclaim how beautiful they are. Sure, my other senses have picked up the slack, for lack of a better term, but I feel like a huge part of my life is missing; a part that I'll never get back…" I trailed off.

George set me down on my bed, and hugged me, "You will get married Katrina. You're still beautiful. Anyone who can't see past a few scars is a git. And you'll always have us. Mum adores you, as does everyone else in this family, well maybe except Percy, but he's a prat anyway so he doesn't count."

"Thanks George," I sighed.

Fred interrupted just then. "I've brought some food for you, Katrina."

He must have conjured a table because George turned me around and guided my hand to find the utensils and bowl of stew that had been placed on a table that I was quite sure was not there when I had come in.

I gingerly felt around for the bowl before dipping the spoon in and carefully raising it to my mouth, savoring the meaty flavor, the warm broth sating my hunger. "Honestly, your mum makes the best food ever. I don't think I've had stew this good in ages."

"She'll be glad to hear it. You know…for a being blind you're surprisingly good at not spilling everything all over the place," Fred said. "Ouch! George!" he exclaimed. I could only assume that George had smacked him upside of the head.

"Did anyone ever tell you just how tactless you are, Fred?" George said angrily.

"Sorry Katrina, didn't mean any offense," Fred said apologetically.

"S'alright. Don't worry about it. I've gotten somewhat used to eating without being able to see. It was a valid observation." I pointed out. I tried not to be offended. I had always known that Fred was rather tactless, or rather, he didn't filter what he said before he spoke, but he was still one of my closest friends and I knew that he didn't mean it in a cruel way.

"Katrina? Remember what I asked you to explain on the way up here? Would you feel up to sharing?" George asked.

I nodded, trying to figure out where to begin.

"What am I missing," Fred asked.

I heard George whispering in Fred's ear. "Oh, alright," Fred responded. "Go ahead, when you're ready, that is, if you want to, I mean…I'll just shut up now."

"Well, before this," I gestured to my now disfigured face, "happened, Charlie had surprised me at my apartment. I invited him in and told him that I'd have to leave to do some investigative reporting at Borgin and Burkes… he and I got in a row. It was awful. We both said things we didn't mean. I told him to leave and he stormed out. I went to the shop and listened to th meeting, but I gave myself away by mistake."

"What d'you mean you 'gave yourself away'?" Fred queried.

"One of the Death Eaters had said something particularly shocking and I jumped. I disturbed the table I was hiding under and they found me. They tortured me- the cruciatus curse. One of them used what I believe he called 'sectumsempra'. Charlie showed up then. He saved me,' I said, tears forming in my eyes. That was probably the one function of my eyes that I had retained. I couldn't see, but I could most definitely cry.

"Even though I was absolutely awful to him. He saved me. I suppose you know how I feel about him," I sighed.

"We have an idea, but how exactly do you feel about him," Fred queried.

"I can't even imagine my life without him. I love him. I have since we first met. But he could never love me. I know that. Especially not now. And I'm afraid. I feel awful for what I said to him, but I'm so scared that when he sees me, he won't have anything to do with me. I don't know how I look right now, considering that I can't see, but I've felt my face, felt the scars. I can only imagine how I look right now. I was never that attractive to start with,but now I must be even less so," I replied.

"First off, Charlie isn't that much a prat. I'm sure he'd like you even if you looked like a dementor, as bloody frightening as that would be," George said.

"And if he was, we'd kick his arse from here back to Romania. If only you knew how he felt about you," Fred added.

"What? Fred…how _does_ he feel about me?" I asked. Hope rose in my chest.

"Like I told him when he asked about you, that's not my story to tell. You'll have to talk to him. It'll be hard, I'm not denying that, but you need to do this for yourself. I can't do it for you," he replied almost sadly.

"I…understand, but honestly, how could he not be revolted by me? He deserves better," I know I sounded like a broken record by this point, but growing up being told I wasn't good enough had made me believe it. I didn't think I was worth it. My mother used to tell me that I would never find a husband. After hearing things over and over, especially from my own parents, they had become ingrained in my head. I couldn't get over it no matter how much I tried to.

Being friends with the Weasleys had, of course, done a world of good, but I was still far from healed. Especially with my new injury, I had suffered a major setback.

"Honestly, if you could only see yourself. You don't look 'hideous' as you put it. You've gone through hell and he knows it. Give him a chance. He hasn't given you a reason to not trust him," George consoled me. He was right. I knew he was. Charlie had done nothing but be kind and caring to me. I couldn't push him away much longer. My resolve was crumbling fast. The walls I had built were falling to pieces at the mere mention of his name, sending shivers down my spine.

Next time he came home, I would talk to him. The only thing that scared me more than facing him was the thought of losing him because I was too stubborn and afraid.

I had to stand up, face my fears. I couldn't cower in a room forever. Sooner or later, I would have to confront him.

"Alright. Next time he comes back…I…I'll talk to him, or try to. You just need to understand…this is hard for me…so much has changed so quickly…and I just need to get myself sorted before I can do this. Can you understand that?" I asked. At least if I had their support, I wouldn't feel so apprehensive and alone.

"Of course. No one's asking you to go running after him right now. Take your time. I know he misses you, but he'd wait forever if it meant talking to you again," Fred said.

"Fred? What novel did you read that in?" I teased, shocked. For once, he was being tactful, _very_ tactful, at that. "Because you have never, ever, said anything that deep before."

"I have my moments," he laughed.

"Of course you do, Gred," George teased. "Now come on, let's get some sleep, yeah? Mum'll right near kill us if we stay up any longer. She'll probably be furious as it is."

"Alright. Night George. Night Fred." I whispered, smiling.

"Night Katrina," they choroused, "Don't let the nargles bite."

"What exactly is a nargle, then?"

"No idea," they chuckled. I smirked. Typical Fred and George, speaking at the same time. It could be extremely confusing, but it was a part of their identity as twins. I still failed to truly understand how deep their bond was. It was something I could never quite wrap my head around, having someone that you were so connected to. I knew that Charlie and I were, had been, used to be, I struggled with the proper tense, very close, but with Fred and George, there was something deeper.

That was the first night in months that I went to bed with a smile on my face.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who has read/subscribed/favorited/reviewed this story. Writing is one of my passions and it's great to know that people are enjoying what I'm writing. Sorry it's been a while since I last updated, this week has been crazy. I started work and tonight is my Teens Against Cancer Club's Relay for Life. I'll be there from 5-midnight, but it'll be awesome...apparently we're having Zumba, a scavenger hunt, karaoke, and a bunch of other random stuff. **

**If any of you have suggestions for things you'd like to see happen in the story, let me know and I'll see if I can work your ideas into the story :) I love to hear from my readers. **

**Miss F Cullen: Fred and George are some of my favorite characters so I thought it would be fun to give them a more central role in this story :)**

**Brook-Lucas-Fan-23: Thanks :) I always enjoy seeing your reviews. This chapter is dedicated to you.**

**jwahl: I always prefer to stay true to the story, and slightly change the plot, rather than completely mess with something that's already amazing. I'm glad you think I'm getting the twins right. I always worry about including characters that I like so much because I worry that I won't be able to do them justice. **

**Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

True Love is Blind Chapter 5

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

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><p>The next morning, we were all gathered in the living room, most of us armed with spray bottles. I was exempt from this, being unable to see. I wasn't quiet sure what exactly was going on, except that it had something to do with Doxies.<p>

I was told to cover my face with my clothes, and I did my best to do so, not quiet sure why exactly this was necessary. No one had really bothered to explain the procedure to me so, I just did as I was told.

"Cover your faces and take a bottle," Mrs. Weasley said to Harry and Ron as they straggled into the room, probably having just woken up, "it's Doxycide. I've never seen an infestation this bad—_what_ that house elf's been doing for the last ten years-"

I was sure Hermione had shot her an angry look, having heard all about her movement to treat house-elves better, _SPEW, _or something like that, I believe she called it. "Kreacher's really old, he probably couldn't manage-" she protested.

"You'll be surprised what Kreacher can manage when he wants to, Hermione," said Sirius, appearing behind me, putting his hand on my shoulder, "Sorry about last night, Kat. I didn't mean to be rude. No hard feelings," he said softly. I nodded. More loudly, he announced to the room, "I've just been feeding Buckbeak. I keep him upstairs in my mother's bedroom. Anyway…this writing desk…"

I heard him drop something onto an armchair, which I later found out was a bucket of dead rats. Most people would probably be disgusted by something like that, but it honestly did not really bother me all that much. I loved magical creatures; Charlie and I had often helped feed some of the animals after class during our years at Hogwarts.

Footsteps retreated towards the desk, which I could hear shaking slightly, grinding against the wooden floor.

"Well, Molly, I'm pretty sure this is a boggart," said Sirius, "but perhaps we ought to let Mad-Eye have a shifty at it before we let it out—knowing my mother it could be something much worse."

I remembered boggarts well. In my old family home, there was one living in my wardrobe. It took me years to get rid of it. I finally managed to laugh it away by making the terrifying feral bear wear a tutu, while riding a unicycle and juggling broomsticks, quite a funny image if you think about it. My parents had, of course, refused to get rid of it for me, saying it was my problem and that I would just have to deal with it until I could get rid of it.

"That's probably a very accurate statement," I said, shuddering at the memory of his mother. She was quite the intimidating witch. Though I had only encountered her a few times, always under the supervision of Sirius, she had left a permanent impression on me.

Both of their voices sounded oddly strained, like they were making an extra effort to be polite to one another. "What's all this about?" I whispered to Harry, motioning to the general area from which I heard Mrs. Weasley and Sirius's voices.

"I'll explain later," he whispered back. I nodded, curious.

Just then, a loud, clanging bell sounded from downstairs, which was met at once by the screams of Mrs. Black's portrait, just as loud as they were the night before.

"I keep telling them not to ring the doorbell!" said Sirius, clearly exasperated, hurrying out of the room to try and shut the portrait up.

Mrs. Black's screeches were fully audible throughout the house, "_Stains of dishonor, filthy half-breeds, blood traitors, children of filth…_

"One of you please close the door," Mrs. Weasley sighed.

I moved to do it, thinking I was closest to it, but Harry stopped me, "It's alright. I've got it."

I heard Sirius walking down the hall, then came the clattering of a chain as he opened the front door. A deep voice, which Harry claimed belonged to Kingsley Shacklebolt, said, "Hestia's just relieved me, so she's got Moody's cloak right now, thought I'd leave a report for Dumbledore…"

The rest of whatever was being said was abruptly cut off as Harry closed the door.

"Right, you lot, you need to be careful, because doxies bite and their teeth are poisonous. I've got a bottle of antidote, but I'd rather nobody needed it. If any of you see one heading for Katrina, make sure you get it, alright?" Mrs. Weasley informed us.

I was pretty sure that I could hear if anything was coming towards me and grabbed a bottle of spray, making sure the nozzle was open. "Are you sure you want to do that, Katrina, dear?" Mrs. Weasley queried when she saw me pick up the bottle.

"I'm sure. My hearing's improved loads so I think I should be able to hear anything coming towards me," I replied.

"Well, alright, if you're sure. When I say the word, start spraying immediately," she said, "they'll come flying out at us, I expect, but it says on the sprays one good squirt will paralyze them. When they're immobilized, just throw them in this bucket. Boys, grab the ones Katrina sprays, would you?"

They nodded, and I heard Mrs. Weasley stepping towards the curtains, "All right—squirt!"

I heard the soft buzzing of wings all around me and I sprayed at each set that I could discern.

"Fred, what are you doing?" Mrs. Weasley's voice sounded sharply. "Spray that at once and throw it away."

I assumed he was holding a Doxy. I head a squirt, but knowing Fred, he wasn't about to throw it away.

"Alright, Mum," Fred said, but turned to Harry and I.

"We want to experiment with doxy venom for our Skiving Snackboxes," George told me under his breath.

"Well you'd best hope that that thing doesn't wake up and sting one of you, or me. Your mum'd go absolutely mental."

"Yeah, I know, which is why I plan on taking a bottle of this spray stuff with me."

"I always knew you were smart, George Weasley," I smiled. "But what exactly are Skiving Snackboxes?"

"Range of sweets to make you ill," George whispered, making sure that his mother wouldn't overhear. "Not seriously ill, mind, just ill enough to get you out of a class when you feel like it. Fred and I have been developing them this summer. They're double-ended, color coded chews. If you eat the orange half of the Puking Pastilles, you throw up. Moment you've been rushed out of the lesson for the hospital wing, you swallow the purple half-"

"—which restores you to full fitness, enabling you to pursue the leisure activity of your choice during an hour that would otherwise have been devoted to unprofitable boredom. That's what we're putting in the adverts, anyway," Fred whispered, who had somehow managed to edge away from his mother's line of vision and was now taking a few extra doxies from the floor and pocketing them. "But they still need a bit of work. At the moment, our testers are having a bit of trouble stopping puking long enough to swallow the purple end."

I grinned. It was exactly the sort of thing they would come up with. Whoever said the twins were lazy was wrong. They may not have much interest in school, but they were geniuses. No one else would have been able to create the kind of things they did.

"Testers?" Harry asked.

"Us." Said Fred. "We take it in turns. George did the Fainting Fancies—we both tried the nosebleed nougat-"

"Mum thought we'd been dueling," laughed George.

They went on talking about a joke shop the twins were considering to make. But they had yet to find somewhere to open it. They were running a mail-order service, though and making a fair amount of money, though.

They really were smart, putting adverts in the _Prophet_, knowing that their mother no longer read the paper due to its position on Dumbledore and Harry.

The ridding of the doxies took most of that morning. It was past noon when Mrs. Weasley finally announced that we could remove the clothing from our faces.

There was still, however, a bowl of black eggs left over. We'd have to take care of those later. Mrs. Weasley insisted on having lunch before then, though.

The doorbell interrupted our relaxation. Mrs. Weasley hurried downstairs, telling us to stay upstairs and she would bring us sandwiches.

Fred and George went to find an Extendable Ear to listen in on the conversation. I, however, was on a mission of my own. I longed to find a piano. I had played every day for months and I missed the sense of relaxation and peace it brought me.

"Harry, do you know if Sirius has a piano anywhere around here? I'm longing to play, and I was just wondering if he had one, or if I should bring mine over from next door somehow," I asked. I had no idea how we would manage to bring mine over here, but I hoped that it would work if Sirius didn't own one. In the worse case scenario, I could always just go over to my old home and play there for a few hours, then come back here.

"Yeah, actually there's one in this room. Can you play, though? I mean without being able to…" he trailed off, not wanting to offend me, I imagined.

"Yeah. Its one of the few things I can still do. Actually, I'd say I've almost gotten better at it since I lost my sight," I smiled.

"Here, I'll take you over to it," Harry took my arm, leading me over to the bench. I sat down, running my fingers over the cold ivory keys. I loved the feeling of them beneath my hands. "I'll leave, if you want me to." Harry offered.

"No, it's fine. You can stay if you'd like. I haven't had anyone to play for in ages," I said softly.

"Alright, but if you ever want me to leave, just let me know."

Instead of answering, I just nodded, knowing that he could see it.

Once again, I ran my fingers over the keys, finding the starting chords. I let my body do the moving, letting the music flow, the song of my heart filling the room. (A/N, if you want to know what she's playing, it's called Comptine d'un Autre été). I let my fingers move swiftly over the keys, relishing the beautiful melody that came from the piano.

I heard footsteps coming into the room and hushed voices. "Who's playing that?" Ron asked.

Fred's awed voice responded, "Its Katrina. I never knew she could play like that."

"But she's blind. How can she possibly play like that?" Ron questioned.

Without breaking the melody, I responded, "Music doesn't come from the eyes. It comes from the heart. I don't need to see to play. I only need to feel."

"Wow," Hermione whispered.

Playing the final chord, I let it fade into silence. I soon heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Katrina? Was that you playing just now?" Sirius asked.

"Yes," I replied, slightly embarrassed at all the attention my music was suddenly getting.

"Did you memorize that? It's lovely," Mrs. Weasley added.

"No. I'm actually not able to read sheet music. That was something I came up with. The notes just came to me one day," I smiled. I was glad that they liked it. Music was such a personal and meaningful thing to me, as it _was_ my feelings, worries, hopes, fears, desires-everything, rolled into a melody.

"That's actually incredible. You really have a gift," Hermione said. I hadn't really spoken much with her in knowing her, but I liked her enough.

"Thank you, Hermione. I'm not that good, but I appreciate it all the same."

"You're bloody fantastic, Katrina," Harry said. I was a bit shocked by his use of the word 'bloody' but I still appreciated it nonetheless.

"Well thank you," I blushed. I wasn't used to being complimented so much.

"And to think I was going to get rid of that old piano," Sirius laughed. "Katrina, you're welcome to play that any time you'd like."

"Thank you," I said, feeling like a broken record. I really wasn't sure how to handle all the praise, so I just settled for thanking everyone.

"Hello Kreacher," Fred said rather loudly and suddenly.

"Kreacher did not see Young Masters," he said. "nasty little brats of blood-traitors, they re."

I was shocked. How in the world could a house elf be so rude? All that I had met were perfectly respectful of their masters.

"Sorry?" said George. "Didn't catch that last bit."

"Kreacher said nothing," the elf replied "and it's twin, nasty unnatural little beasts they are."

I didn't know whether to laugh or not, but Kreacher continued, "…and there's the Mudblood, standing there bold as brass, oh if my mistress knew, oh how she'd cry, and there's a new boy, Kreacher doesn't know his name, and a new girl."

"They are Harry and Katrina. Harry Potter and Katrina Westing, Kreacher," said Hermione, very tentatively.

In response, Kreacher muttered faster and more angrily than he ever had.

"The Mudblood is talking to Kreacher as though she is my friend, if Kreacher's Mistress saw him in such company, oh what would she say-"

"Don't call her a Mudblood!" Ron, Ginny, and I yelled together.

"It doesn't matter," Hermione whispered. I went over to her putting my my arm around her, trying to comfort her. "he's not in his right mind, he doesn't know what he's-"

"Don't kid yourself, Hermione, he knows exactly what he's saying," said Fred, the distaste in his voice evident.

"Is it true? Is it Harry Potter? Kreacher can see the scar, it must be true, that's the boy who stopped the Dark Lord, Kreacher wonders how he did it-"

"Don't we all, Kreacher," interrupted Fred.

"What do you want anyway?" George asked harshly.

"Kreacher is cleaning," he replied, purposely being as evasive as possible.

"A likely story," said Sirius's voice from behind me. I could just imagine his expression. He must have been glowering at the elf. I noticed, in the brief quiet that the noise in the hall had stopped. I assumed that Mrs. Weasley and the guest had moved their argument to another location, perhaps the kitchen.

"Stand up straight," Sirius growled with impatience. "Now, what are you up to?"

I almost felt bad for the poor elf. He got crap from almost everyone in the house. Then again, he was a rather crude creature so I did not blame the others for disliking him. "Kreacher is cleaning, Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of Black-"

"—and it's getting blacker every day, it's filthy," Sirius quipped.

"Master always liked his little joke," Kreacher replied, but adding in an undertone, "Master was a nasty ungrateful swine who broke his mother's heart-"

"My mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher," Sirius snapped. "She kept herself alive out of pure spite."

There, I could relate to him. My parents were never ones for fond embraces or family outings. They were cold and reserved. Even though my father was half-blood, he had the mentality of a pure-blood. Perhaps that was why my parents were so spiteful. They were labeled as filth, blood-traitors, and they were shunned by both parts of society. Still, I couldn't help looking back on my time growing up with hatred. When I was younger, I couldn't wait for the day I got out of there. Since I graduated Hogwarts, I was on my own. I hadn't heard from my parents in years. For all I knew, they had joined You-Know-Who.

"Whatever Master says," Kreacher replied, then, muttering furiously, "Master is not fit to wipe slime from his mother's boots, oh my poor Mistress, what would she say if she saw Kreacher serving him, how she hated him, what a disappointment he was, and now the traitor Westing girl too; a cripple who betrayed her parents, she is just as bad as Master. Traitors, filth, slime."

"You will _not_ speak about Miss Westing like that, Kreacher, that is an _order_. Do I make myself clear? Good. I asked you what you were up to," Sirius replied coldly. "Every time you show up pretending to be cleaning, you sneak something off to your room so we can't throw it out."

"Kreacher would never move anything from its proper place in the Master's house," said the elf, then muttering very fast, "Mistress would never forgive Kreacher if the tapestry was thrown out, seven centuries it's been in the family. Kreacher must save it, Kreacher will not let Master and the blood traitors and the brats destroy it-"

"I thought it might have been that," said Sirius. "She'll have put another Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of it, I don't doubt, but if I can get rid of it I certainly will. Now go away Kreacher."

I remembered that tapestry well. I believe that I too was somewhere on it. Mrs. Black had recognized my father as a pure-blood, despite having one muggle parent. I was fairly sure, though, that I had been burned off after rebelling against my parent's wishes year after year. Funny, I thought, that even though I got the job that they wanted me to; they still weren't satisfied, thinking that I was doing it just to spite them. I couldn't win.

Kreacher left the room, muttering more insults under his breath. He really was a depressing creature. I felt sorry for Sirius for having to put up with him for so long. Tinker, who was working in the kitchens of Hogwarts, I had been informed, would never dare speak out against me like that. Then again, I had never threatened her or been rude to her.

"What if you just set him free, Sirius?" I asked.

"We can't set him free. He knows too much about the Order. And anyway, the shock would kill him. You suggest to him that he leaves this house. See how he takes it," Sirius said curtly.

Sirius walked across the room towards the age-old tapestry that I knew was there.

"You're not on here! Neither are you, Katrina!" Harry said after having scanned the bottom of the tree closely.

"I used to be there. Katrina was right there," Sirius said, pointing out the burn marks that I knew must be there. "My sweet old mother blasted me off after I ran away from home—Kreacher's rather fond of muttering the story under his breath. Katrina's parents requested that my mother blast her off too after she left Hogwarts."

"You ran away from home?"

"When I was about sixteen," Sirius replied. "I'd had enough. I went to your dad's place. Your grandparents were really good about it; they sort of adopted me as a second son, almost like what Molly's done with Katrina."

I turned to the Weasleys who were left in the room, smiling at them. "I really am grateful for that. I'm surprised you haven't grown tired of me hanging around over holidays. Your parents have been so kind about it. So have all of you. Thanks."

I didn't need to see to know that they were all smiling. "Don't worry about it, Katrina. You're welcome with us any time. You're a right sight better than Percy. If we could, I'd kick him out of the family and adopt you instead, but don't tell Mum I said that," Ron chuckled.

"I won't. I don't hate you _that _much," I replied.

"You don't hate me at all."

"True. Very true. You caught me there," I laughed.

Over the next few days, Mrs. Weasley kept us all working very hard. Once she had realized that I was capable of fending for myself, she started including me in the cleaning tasks. I hoped that if I kept this up, I could eventually offer up my services to the Order, as I was out of a job and really did not have anything else to do with my time. I still played piano in my spare time, when there was any, but even that couldn't keep me busy forever.

We moved from the drawing room to a dining room on the ground floor where we found giant spiders, Ron had squealed, saying they were as large as saucers, before running out of the room to make a cup of tea. The china there, presumably bearing the Black Family Crest and motto, were thrown into a pile by Sirius, as well as an old set of photographs in fairly good quality silver frames. The occupants of said photos screamed shrilly as the glass that had covered them shattered.

I couldn't blame Sirius for wanting to rid the home of everything that reminded him of his past. Truth be told, if I wasn't blind, I probably would have done the same thing with my old family home.

Dinner on Wednesday night took a turn for the dreary when Mrs. Weasley turned to Harry and mentioned, "I've ironed your best clothes for tomorrow morning, Harry, and I want you to wash your hair tonight too. A good first impression can work wonders."

I could tell Harry felt uncomfortable. If I was him, I would not want any reminder of the trial.

"How am I getting there?" He asked Mrs. Weasley, trying to sound like he was unconcerned.

"Arthur's taking you to work with him," Mrs. Weasley replied as gently as possible.

"You can wait in my office until it's time for the hearing," Mr. Weasley said, trying to sound cheerful and calm.

I could tell that Harry's mood worsened when Mrs. Weasley mentioned that Dumbledore had visited the night before. Harry must have felt abandoned, as he had obviously not even been aware that he was there, much less visited by him. I felt bad for Harry. I knew all too well how it felt to be completely alone. I just hoped for his sake that it wouldn't be for too long.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm SO sorrry for not updating in a while. I've been so busy with school and work. Finals are coming up soon so I really need to study (because that's _totally_ (not) realistic). Anyway, I really hope you like this chapter and again, thanks to everyone who has reviewed/read/subscribed/favorited. So that brings me here, sitting home while my parents are in Long Island, in front of my computer, eating peanut satay out of a takeout box with chopsticks, trying to edit my writing while listening/watching Ghost Adventures.**

**I am so happy that you guys like this story. Originally I wrote this to indulge myself and have fun with the characters of a story I love/explore them a little more, but then I decided to post it here. It really means a lot that you all like what I'm writing.**

**As for progress, I have chapter 7 written and I'll be working on editing that. Hopefully, I'll have it up next week, but if not, bear with me. I'll try to work on writing chapter 8 as well. Maybe I'll be inspired to write during my study hall, since I'm not allowed to do gym anymore. **

**Anywho, thanks for your patience and support. And I hope (for those of you in the US) that your Memorial Day/long weekends are awesome. Go have a barbecue/go to a pool/have fun in general! I'll be lifeguarding then barbecuing with my friends. Good times.**

**This chapter is dedicated to all my wonderful readers because without you, there would be no story :)**

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><p>True Love is Blind<p>

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

The following morning, I woke up earlier than everyone else, carefully making my way downstairs, trying (and probably failing due to the fact that I could not see where I was going) not to make too much noise. I hadn't been sleeping very well lately; my dreams had been plagued with nightmares about Charlie. Every time I closed my eyes, it seemed, I saw increasingly more horrible visions of him. Some were of him being tortured, being held prisoner, and the worst yet, being brutally murdered by You-Know-Who himself. Ever since he had left to go back to Romania, I had spent every moment worrying about him. I knew he was acting, essentially, as a foreign spy on his days off from work at the reserve and that unnerved me. Being a spy was a risky buisness, and with one wrong move, he could be discovered.

What if something horrible happened to him? I hadn't even let him into my room, even after he had begged me. I hadn't spent time with him in months, for the majority of which, he believed me to have disappeared, or be dead. I knew then that I had to do whatever it took to see him again, well, not _see_ him again, but to talk to him, to make things right. Though I was still afriad about what he would think of my appearance, my desire to be with him again was too great to let something like anxiety get in the way. I just wanted him back in my life. We had never gone this long without talking before, even when we were in completely different countries, and it was hurting me. I wondered if it hurt him too.

As I made my way down to the kitchen, I heard voices speaking softly. It sounded like Sirius, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Lupin, Tonks, and if they were there, then Harry must have been there also, or at least on his way down, as his trial would be held today.

"Breakfast, Harr—oh, Katrina. You're up early. What's the matter dear?" she asked, clearly surprised to see me. I'd never gone downstairs after waking up early during my time here. Instead, I usually just sat in bed, trying to calm my racing mind. I couldn't read, as I could no longer see the words on the pages, or the book, or anything else. There were no Braille books to be found here either, so I was resigned to just sitting there, trapped in my own darkness. During my self-induced seclusion, I had learned to read Braille from a few books that were lying around the study in my old house. I could understand parts of it, but I was by no means proficient.

"I couldn't sleep. I've had…a rough time sleeping lately," I admitted shakily, images of my dreams rushing back into my mind. I shuddered involuntarially.

"Have you been having nightmares?" she asked, concerned.

"Well, yeah, I have. They're always about the same thing, too. They seem so real," I whispered.

"I think I know what this is about," Mrs. Weasley came over to me, engulfing me in a motherly hug. I stiffened at first, not used to this kind of contact, but relaxed in her arms. So that only I could hear, she whispered, "He's _fine_. I can't say that I know when he will come back here, but if you can't wait, I can always apparate you to the Reserve, or you can try to apparate yourself."

"Thank you," I whispered.

"It's no problem, dear." I was so grateful to her. She had always been the mother that I had never had. My mother would never have done something like this for me; she would have called me weak for loving a "blood traitor," but Mrs. Weasley actually cared for me. There were times I wished that I had grown up with them, part of their family.

She let go of me just as Harry entered the room.

"Breakfast," she said, handing him a plate.

"M-m-morning, Harry," Tonks yawned, "Katrina. Sleep alright Harry?"

"Yeah," said Harry. Clearly he didn't want to elaborate.

"I've b-b-been up all night," Tonks said, yawning again. "Come and sit down you two…"

"Harry, Katrina, there's porridge, muffins, toast, kippers, bacon, eggs. Just let me know what you'd like."

"Just—just toast, thanks," Harry said.

"Katrina, I'll give you a bit of everything. You really need to eat, love." Mrs. Weasley said setting two plates down, one for me and one for Harry.

Lupin started talking to Tonks, "What were you saying about Scrimgeour?"

"Oh…yeah…well, we need to be a bit more careful, he's been asking Kingsley and me funny questions…"

I was grateful that I didn't have to join the conversation. I was still shaken from the dreams I had had last night. Though the food in front of me smelled wonderful, I just picked at it, not really feeling in the mood to eat anything.

…and I'll have to tell Dumbledore that I can't do night duty tomorrow, I'm just t-too tired," Tonks finished with another huge yawn interrupting her sentence.

"I'll cover for you," said Mr. Weasley, "I'm okay I've got a report to finish anyway…"

He then turned his attention to Harry, "How are you feeling?"

Harry didn't reply.

"It'll all be over soon. In a few hours' time you'll be cleared," Mrs. Weasley said, trying to be optimistic.

Harry still said nothing. I personally didn't blame him. If I were him, I wouldn't be in the mood talk either.

"The hearing's on my floor, in Amelia Bones's office. She's Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and she's the one who'll be questioning you."

"Amelia Bones is okay, Harry," Tonks added earnestly. "She's fair, she'll hear you out."

Again, Harry was silent. I felt bad for him. He must have felt hopeless after hearing what the _Prophet_ had to say about him, but I believed there was hope for him.

"Don't lose your temper," Sirius said abruptly. "Be polite and stick to the facts."

Still, Harry was quiet.

"The law's on your side," I said quietly. "Even underage wizards are allowed to use magic in life-threatening situations. They'd have to be crazy to convict you."

"Does it ever lie flat?" Mrs. Weasley asked desperately. I was confused. What had happened? Being blind, I tended to miss out on a lot. Then, I realized that she was talking about his hair. She was probably fussing over it, trying to make him look as presentable as possible. Mrs. Weasley had a tendency to fuss over everyone.

"I think we'll go now. We're a bit early, but I think you'll be better off there than hanging around here." Mr. Weasley said.

"Okay." Harry replied.

"You'll be alright, Harry," I said, patting him on the arm.

"Good luck," said Lupin. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

"And if it's not," Sirius said grimly, "I'll see Amelia Bones for you…"

"We've got our fingers crossed," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Right," muttered Harry. "Well…see you later then."

I could hear their footsteps moving out the hallway. I sat there, feeling rather awkward, and returned to picking at my food.

"Katrina. You haven't even touched your food. Talk to me. Come, tell me what these dreams were about," Mrs. Weasley pulled a chair out next to me and sat down, putting her hand on my arm.

"A-Are we alone?" I asked. I really had no desire to share my dreams with everyone in the house.

"Tonks and I were just heading out. Bye, Molly." Lupin said.

"Well now I feel like a prat," I sighed.

"Why would you say that?" Mrs. Weasley questioned.

"I've just essentially made them leave, didn't I. I'm so tactless."

"You did nothing of the sort. You were only asking a question. Stop blaming yourself, dear. They are all aware of your…condition…and no one judges you for asking what is going on. They really did have to leave, Order business and all that," she said kindly, though her avoidence of the word "blind" irked me a bit. I knew full well that I was blind. I understood that she was trying to be kind, but I did not need anyone's pity.

"Alright…"

"Katrina. Talk to me. What is going on?" Mrs. Weasley had always been so incredibly kind to me. More kind than I deserved. Since I first met her, she acted as a maternal figure. I sympathized with Harry in that way, finding myself an unofficial adopted member of the Weasley clan.

"The dreams are…horrible. I suppose you've already figured that they're about Charlie," I started.

"Yes. I figured as much."

"I…I just feel so…awful for not talking to him. And now that he's gone, I don't know when I'll see him again…I want to make things right with him…but…I'm scared. But in the dreams…each one is worse than the other. Last night's was the worst, though. It was so real. He was on a mission for the Order, but he walked right into a trap. Death Eaters were everywhere. They tortured him, used the Cruciatus Curse on him…then they took out old swords…cut him everywhere. He was bleeding, dying and no matter what I tried, I couldn't save him. It was horrible." I was crying by this point.

Mrs. Weasley wrapped her arms around me. "You love him, don't you?"

I nodded. "I do. More than anything."

"I can assure you that he is fine. But there's more to it, isn't there? You're worried that he won't find you attractive because of the scars?"

"How did you get to be so perceptive?"

"Raising as many children as I have, you learn to see things others might not," she smiled. "Don't worry, Katrina. Although I'm sure Fred and George have told you this already, Charlie won't care. If you'd like, I can try to see if I can heal some of the scars, but I doubt I'll be able to do much."

"If you could try…" I trailed off.

"Of course, but please dear, don't be too disappointed if I can't do anything."

"I could never be disappointed. You're the first person actually offering to help me," I tried to smile at her.

"Alright. Just sit here and I'll be back. I have some ingredients here that I should be able to make some healing poultices and I'll try a few spells. I'll be back in a dash," she said.

I waited and it only took her about five minutes to gather all the ingredients. Soon, a cauldron was bubbling, the aroma of herbs and various other ingredients diffusing throughout the air.

"Ahh. Here we go. Careful, this is a bit hot," Mrs. Weasley warned. "You might want to close your eyes."

I did as she suggested, wincing at first as the poultice was applied carefully to my face. "How long does this take?"

"About twenty minutes. I'll try the spells while this is on. Maybe they'll work together."

I tried not to hope, but I couldn't help it. I wouldn't care if I was blind if my face was healed. It was a vain and narcissistic thought, I know, but it was the only thing I had left. I was self conscious about the scars, I couldn't help it.

"It's worth a try," I said.

She murmured spell after spell, even repeating some.

Twenty minutes later, Mrs. Weasley interrupted my thoughts. "Time's up, Katrina. Please try not to be too disappointed if this doesn't work out."

"I'll try," I said, not really meaning it.

She gently removed the poultice, now dry and flaky, off my face. She was silent. My heart dropped to my stomach.

"Katrina…I'm so sorry…" she trailed off.

"I-it's alright," I replied, tears stinging my eyes. I blinked furiously trying to stop them from overflowing. "I think I'll just go have a bath. I'm feeling a bit dirty."

I didn't wait for her reply, running out of the kitchen. By now, I had almost memorized the layout of the house so I made it to the stairs relatively easily without tripping over anything.

"Katrina? What…?" a sleepy Fred and George asked. I just ran past them into the bathroom, shutting the door quickly and running the tap water, waiting for it to get hot.

Once I felt the tub was filled with steamy water, I took off my clothes and lowered myself into the water. It felt so good on my tired muscles. Sitting there in the tub, preoccupied by my despair, I contemplated killing myself. There was certainly enough water in the tub. The only question was how to ensure that I would stay under long enough. I sighed. I couldn't do it. I could never bring myself to do something like that to myself.

I cried until I ran out of tears and after that, I just sat there, only speaking to mutter a heating spell when the water got cold.

I washed my hair and body, scrubbing carefully. I then turned my attention to my face. I picked up the tube of face soap I kept at the corner of the tub, squeezing a little into the palm of my hand and spreading it around.

I brought it to my face. Touching the scars brought on a whole new wave of tears. The scars were still there; nothing at all had changed, not even a little bit. I was still just as deformed as I had been before.

At least it wasn't worse, I thought, trying to be optimistic, but that did not work all that well.

I eventually grew bored of being cooped up in the bathroom. I drained the tub, wrapping a towel around myself and made my way to the room I was sharing with Fred and George. Of course, they were both sitting there on their beds, probably waiting to talk to me.

"Katrina…" George began.

"Mum told us what happened," Fred finished.

"We're so sorry," George continued.

"Can you hand me some clothes?" I asked, completely ignoring their statements. Sure, it was rude, but I was in no mood to talk about what had happened.

"Sure," Fred replied, tossing me what I believed was a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt. I had laid out underwear on my bed that morning, which I quickly slipped on under the towel. I didn't care if they saw me in my underwear so, I dropped my towel. I was unattractive anyway. Like they had said, I was skin and bones, the only thing that hadn't changed were my breasts. They were still the same size as before, making me look un-proportional.

I heard them suck in their breath.

"Katrina…you really need to eat. Promise us that you'll eat lunch. Come down with us. Mum's making something that smells amazing," George pleaded.

I couldn't talk to them. I needed to be alone. "Look, could you two maybe, I don't know, _leave me alone for a minute_?" I hissed.

I knew I was being hurtful, but I was so wounded myself that I just wanted to be left alone to wallow in my bad mood in peace.

"Katrina," Fred began.

"Save it, Fred. Just leave. Alright? I. Want. To. Be. Alone. Please just leave." I was hopeless at this point.

"Fine." I was surprised that they had agreed so easily. Usually they would have put up a fight. I heard them leave and close the door.

I sat there, continuing to just brood in my misery.

I heard a pair of footsteps approaching. I was suddenly exasperated. Couldn't anyone understand that I just wanted to be left alone! Merlin, why did these people have to be so nosey and caring? At this point, I was so frustrated that I found myself wishing to be back in my parent's home. At least there I could be left alone without anyone coming to talk to me or try and make me feel better.

"Kat?" It was _him_. Charlie. He was back. "Mum owled me. She said you were really upset. Can I please come in? I know I said I'd give you space, but I can't leave you alone to hurt like this. I can't take this anymore. Please just let me come in. Just talk to me," he pleaded.

This was is. I sighed. "Fine," I whispered.

"Kat?" Charlie pleaded.

"Fine. Come in, but I told you before, you don't want to see me," I said, a bit louder.

I heard the door click open, his footsteps treading lightly on the wood floor, which was creaking slightly under his weight. I stood with my back towards him, scared to face him. "Thank you, Kat thank you so mu-"

His voice trailed off as I turned to face him. I knew he was looking at my face. There, I told myself, it was over. He had seen me. He was going to run away in disgust. But at least I had made him happy. At least I had let him in, and now I could live knowing that at least I had done what he asked.

I had expected him to turn and run, to leave me alone in horror at my disfigured visage. I was shocked to feel his rough, calloused hands on my face, stroking it gently, his thumbs tracing over my forehead, eyes, nose, lips, tracing the scars that lined my cheeks and eyes. My eyes widened in surprise, tears forming in my eyes, streaming down my face. Out of every possibly outcome, this was the one that I expected the least.

"Oh, Katrina, what happened to you, love? I swear, whoever did this to you…I…I'll kill them," he whispered fervently, stroking my cheek, "Kat, look at me. Please, look at me."

"I can't do that, Charlie," I cried.

"And why can't you?" He demanded, suddenly sounding exasperated with me.

"Because I can't see you."

"What do you mean you can't see me?" He asked, worry tainting his voice, "I'm right here. Right in front of you."

"I can't see you because I can't see anything. I'm blind, Charlie. I'll never see anything again," I broke down then, sobs wracking my body. This was the first time I had really actually admitted to myself that I would be permanently blind. This was the first time I had accepted my fate, and at the moment, it was too much for me to handle. He enfolded me into his arms.

"I should have listened to you, Charlie. I was so stupid. And then you-you came, you saved me. But then I woke up…in St. Mungo's a-a-and t-they t-told me I w-was b-b-blind. I-I felt the s-scars. I-I'm hideous. I w-was a-afraid that you-you were mad a-at me. A-And I was s-scared t-that you w-would run away b-because I-I'm s-s-so u-u-ugly." I cried into his chest.

"No, I should have gotten there sooner. You were just doing your job. I'm so sorry Kat. I'm so sorry I ever fought with you. I'm so sorry I said all those horrible things. I'm so sorry I wasn't there in time. You lost your sight because of me. And you're not ugly. You could never be ugly. You've actually never been more beautiful," Charlie whispered, crushing me in a hug. "And don't ever say that scars make you ugly. You're not the only person in the world with scars. I have them too." He took my hand in his, bringing mine to touch his arm where I knew there was a large, shiny scar that had resulted from being burned by one of the dragons he worked with. That only made me cry harder; the compassion he showed me astounded me.

"You've no idea h-h-how s-scared I was. I-I don't know h-how I look r-right n-now. I-I t-thought y-you wouldn't want me anymore. I-I couldn't live without you, Charlie." I continued crying. It felt so good to be back in his arms.

He didn't say anything, just held me closer, but what he did next shocked me to my core. I felt his lips, brush mine gently. I inhaled sharply. Charlie Weasley, the man I had been pining for since I could remember, had kissed me. Me.

"You kissed me," I stated, dumbfounded. I didn't care if it sounded completely idiotic. I was still processing exactly what had happened.

"Yeah, I did."

"Why?" I asked. I was so confused. This wasn't any of the outcomes I had imagined and I couldn't quite figure out how to respond.

"What?"

"You don't have any feelings for me. Why did you kiss me? Why are you teasing me Charlie? I can't handle this right now. That's just cruel," I whispered.

"Katrina," he whispered fervently. I looked away from him.

He moved one of his hands from around my waist, bring my face back towards his. He kissed me again. This time, though it was more forceful, passionate, hungry. I wrapped my arms around him, deepening the kiss.

"That's where you're wrong, Katrina. I _do_ love you. I have _always_ loved you," my heart leapt. "We've been so stupid. I think everyone else knew how we felt, we just didn't realize it ourselves."

I didn't reply. I just kissed him again, savoring the feel of his lips on mine. "I love you, Charlie Weasley."

"And I you, Katrina Westing, always have." I didn't need to be able to see to know that his grin was just as big as mine.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm currently having a lot of trouble with my computer. It says that Microsoft Word isn't installed...even though it was running normally until a few days ago. This means that all the chapters that I wrote, I can't access on here anymore. Thankfully, I saved them on a googledoc but I can't upload from there onto fanfiction...which is an issue. I'll do my best to deal with this and figure out what's going on, but in the meantime, please just bear with me. Also, I have finals next week so I'm going to by studying like a madwoman. That being said, please forgive me/don't be too mad if I can't get another chapter up for a little while. The end of the schoolyear is always hectic and crazy. I do promise that I'll do my best to make it happen though.**

**Anyway, again, I want to thank all my lovely readers.**

**A special thanks goes out to anyone who favorited/subscribed/reviewed; it means a lot to me to know that you like my story. Like I said before, I never really thought my writing was all that good, but you guys are giving me a major confidance boost :)**

**This chapter is dedicated to my best friend Katie, who always makes me smile with her comments about my story. She's my inspiration...and the fact that we are already planning our college dorm/lives when we haven't even graduated high school. And she totally gets my obsession with Harry Potter (among various other things)...and then there's the fact that we have the same name and could basically be the same person :) So, yeah...Katie, if you're reading this, this chapter is dedicated to you**

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><p>Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?<p>

_True Love is Blind Chapter 7_

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><p>Charlie and I sat together in the room which suddenly seemed much more friendly and open. Neither one of us spoke, but we didn't have to; I was content just being with him. We were entangled in each other's arms, simply enjoying each other's presence as we had not had a chance to do for the longest time. After all the years I had known him, I still found myself awed by how relaxed I felt around him.<p>

Being with him was easy, it felt natural; it felt right. I could simply be myself without having to worry about being judged or misunderstood. We completely and totally understood each other on a level that other people may not have completely been able to comprehend.

_"Charlie?" I asked, breaking the silence._

I was nervous. In the time that we hadn't spoken, I had done a lot of thinking. My only previous relationship had ended in disaster, which in turn ended up costing me a massive loss of self-esteem. I did not quite know how to continue. What Charlie and I had as friends was amazing. Was I willing to risk it on a relationship that could very possibly end in chaos? And what exactly did that kiss mean? Were we still just friends? Were we more than friends?

_"Yes, love?" he asked, shifting me in his arms. I assumed it was so that he could get a better look at me._

"Well…what exactly would you…call us?"

I needed to know what exactly we were to one another. I couldn't afford to have this become a misconception between the two of us. I needed to get this out in the open. It had taken so much strength to even let him in my room. Maybe the suddenly favorable turn of events had made me brash, but at that moment I could not have cared any less. I was high on life and happiness.

"What d'you mean?" he asked. I had to fight back laughter. He always had been a bit thick when it came to girls and their subtlety, but I loved him all the same. I sighed. Love. Such a strong and powerful word. Love. It could give you wings, send you soaring with your head in the clouds, or it could tear your heart to itty-bitty shreds. I had found it with the man I had always thought I could never had. Before this, it had seemed silly that one little word could heal a broken heart of send you into despair, but I now realized just how significant that "little" word was.

I now understood what people meant when they said that there was a thrilling, almost giddy, sense of euphoria that came with having what was seemingly unattainable. I wasn't shallow, though. I loved Charlie. He wasn't just a conquest to me. He was so much more. He was my best friend. My savior. My guiding light. And now possibly my boyfriend. I grimaced at the thought of that. Boyfriend did not seem like quite the right word. Boyfriend implied something more experimental, a curiosity to be explored. With Charlie, things were different; they did not feel experimental, they were solid, more finite. It was more of an affirmation of something we both knew was there, but had never directly addressed or expressed to one another.

"Well, I mean, you and me… us. Is there an 'us'? I mean are we exclusive? That's what I mean. What are 'we,' the entity? Are 'we' an 'entity'? I'm just trying to figure out what exactly all of this," I gestured to us, me in his arms, "means." I whispered this. Even though I was amazed that I had even said it, I could not bring myself to speak any louder, as if I said it softly enough, the awkwardness I felt would just disappear. So much for the so-called "bravery" I had felt when beginning to speak.

"Katrina, of course there is an us," he reached up to touch my face, cupping it in his hand, kissing my lips lightly, "You know I don't date many girls, especially not snog them in bedrooms when my family could walk in at any time… You're mine, if you'd like to be, my girl, that is, but only if you want to, I don't want to pressure you into doing anything you're not alright with…" he started rambling. It was adorable. I hadn't ever seen, or rather heard, him this flustered.

I shushed him, smiling. "There's nothing I'd like more than to be 'your girl'. You've no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that."

He let out a contented laugh, tightening his arms around my waist, though in a way that was extremely comforting. I relaxed against him, loving the feeling of his toned arms holding me tight against his body, radiating heat. I laid my head contentedly on his chest, listening to his heart beating, full of life. _Thump. Thump. Thump._ The heart that I had somehow, by some stroke of incredible luck, managed to win. However, I was sure that the battle was far from over. Relationships were never easy, and with mine and Charlie's stubbornness combined, our relationship would certainly never be boring. I laughed, imagining what our children would be like, if we ever had any. They would surely be a handful.

"Really? Because you've no idea how long I've waited for you to say that you wanted to be my girl," he whispered, making me shiver. I smiled.

"Charlie…would you mind terribly if I did something?" I asked.

"No, I wouldn't mind, but what are you thinking, Kat? You're awfully quiet," he commented.

"Well…I was wondering if you'd let me feel your face," I said. It was an odd request to say the least, but I was beginning to forget what he looked like and that scared me. Since I couldn't see, I figured that tracing the outline of his face, that strong face that I loved so well, would help to refresh my memory.

"You don't have to be embarrassed. It's a valid request. You don't even have to ask, Kat, not with me. Here," he took my hand in his, guiding it to his face.

I played with his hair, the color of which I could remember perfectly-after all, who could forget an entire family of redheads?- running my fingers through it a few times. From there, I traced over his broad, proud forehead, smoothing my thumb over his eyebrows, tracing gently over his closed eyes, down the sculpted nose, over his slightly chapped lips, finally stopping at his strong jaw, tracing its outline softly.

I could feel his breathing quickening against my fingers, his heart racing under my hand that lay on his sculpted chest. I did not need to be able to see to know that he was staring straight into my eyes.

I drew in a sharp breath as he moved his hands up my arms, sending shivers coursing down my spine. He then claimed my lips with his own, moving them roughly against mine. I gasped and he took that chance to explore my mouth with his tongue. I had never kissed, or been kissed, like that. But instead of clenching up, I released the tension in my muscles and let instinct take over.

I pulled away, gasping for breath, but grinning like a madwoman, probably blushing a deep shade of tomato-red. "I'm sorry if I wasn't very good. I've never-"

"Don't you even worry about not being good. Kat, you're perfect. Absolutely perfect."

Before I had time to respond, he kissed me again, and I brought my arms up, massaging his shoulders that I knew were perpetually tense. He groaned and brought a hand up to cup the back of my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair.

Just then, the door flew open. "Harry's been cleared!" George's voice rang out into the room.

"Whoa there! Trying to blind us? Couldn't you suck her face off elsewhere, Charlie," Fred interjected.

"Somewhere more private, perhaps?" George said. I could hear the grin in his voice. I wasn't surprised, though. After all, they did know how I felt about Charlie after our conversation.

"It was private until you two barged in," I noted. Charlie grunted in affirmation. The twins chuckled at our responses.

"We'll let it slide this time, but only because we haven't seen Katrina look this happy since...well...since ever," George said.

"But what about the scarring image that will be ingrained in my mind forever? You can't just let them get away with that," Fred interjected, playfully whining.

George must have smacked him upside the head, as I heard a dull _thwack_, before Fred yelped, "Oi! What was that for?"

"I figured if I hit you hard enough, it'd erase the 'scarring image,'" George grinned.

"Smartass," Fred grumbled.

Just then, more footsteps echoed up the stairs. I tried to move, as my face was still only about two inches away from Charlie's, but the damage had already been done. Everyone in the house had seen us, I was sure.

"Oh! This is wonderful! Such a wonderful day! First Harry's clearing, and now this! Oh, I'm so happy for you two," Mrs. Weasley gushed, rushing over to us and enveloping the two of us in a gigantic embrace. She was probably the only woman who could come into a room, see her son and a girl so close that their lips were almost touching, and gush about how wonderful it was.

"I knew it!" Ron yelled. "I knew this would happen, pay up, Harry."

"Wait…what?" Charlie demanded.

"Uh, right, mate. Well, we might have placed bets on when we thought you and Katrina would finally realize what everyone else already knew," Harry started.

"And I've won. I bet it would be before Christmas," Ron added.

"Harry bet that it would be before new years, and actually, Ron, I've won. I bet it would be before term started," Hermione finished.

"Really, now? Taking bets on when poor Charlie and I would finally realize our eternal, undying love for each other," I joked.

"Well, being stuck here, things can get kind of boring, and well, this was our way of…entertaining ourselves, for lack of a better word," Harry said apologetically.

"Don't worry, she was just having you on, Harry. And if it wins Hermione some spending money, well, we can't complain, can we, love?" Charlie was laughing, squeezing my shoulder.

"If I weren't so happy right now, I'd be furious, absolutely livid, but I honestly don't particularly mind," I conceded.

The group gathered at the door shared a laugh at our expense. Patting Charlie on the arm, I untangled myself from his arms, standing up.

"So Harry, you've been let off. I'm glad. Told you they couldn't find you guilty," I smiled in what I hoped was his general direction.

"Everyone seems quite relieved, though, considering they all knew that I'd get off," Harry said, smile evident in his voice.

Fred, George, and Ginny then commenced to sing, and judging by the sound of their feet on the hardwood, dance in a circle, chanting, "He got off, he got off, he got off, he got off—"

"Oh, that's enough, settle down!" Mr. Weasley shouted, though I knew he was smiling and laughing along with them, "Listen, Sirius, Lucius Malfoy was at the Ministry—"

I drew in a sharp breath, the memories of that terrible night all those months ago came flooding back to me. Charlie, who had come up to stand beside me, put his arm around me tightly.

"He got off, he got off, he got off,"

"What," Sirius said sharply. I had, of course, told him about Lucius and all the events of the night when I had lost my sight. After all, he was my uncle, my only remaining family, and as he and the Malfoy's were also related, I felt that he should know what had happened.

"Be quiet, you three! Yes, we saw him talking to Fudge on level nine, then they went up to Fudge's office together. Dumbledore ought to know."

"Absolutely," Sirius replied, "We'll tell him, don't worry."

"Well, I'd better get going, there's a vomiting toilet in Bethnal Green waiting for me. Molly, I'll be late, I'm covering for Tonks, but Kingsley might be dropping in for dinner—"

A vomiting toilet…that sounded absolutely disgusting, but I vaguely wondered how exactly that was possible. I knew better than to ask Mr. Weasley about it, though. Surely, he would go on a rant about it, often asking Harry to make sure his facts were correct. I had made the mistake of asking him something once before and I would never make that mistake again.

"He got off, he got off, he got off,"

"That's enough—Fred—George—Ginny!" said Mrs. Weasley, as Mr. Weasley trudged down the stairs towards the exit. "Harry dear, come downstairs to the kitchen, have some lunch, you hardly ate breakfast. Charlie, Katrina, you come too. We'll need to discuss some things."

Ahhh. Here came the lecture. I had hoped we would get off without one, but of course, Mrs. Weasley would want to talk to us about our relationship.

We all went downstairs together, sitting in the kitchen. Charlie and I sat down together, right next to Harry. Ron and Hermione sat themselves down opposite us. The house that had once been so dreary and downcast suddenly seemed full of life and vigor.

"'Course once Dumbledore turned up on your side, there was no way they were going to convict you," Ron said happily, serving mounds of steaming, buttery mashed potatoes onto all our plates.

"Yeah, he swung it for me," Harry replied, "I wish he'd talked to me more, though. Or even looked at me."

"What's up?" Hermione said to Harry, sounding alarmed.

"Scar," Harry replied, mumbling, "but it's nothing….it happens all the time now…"

No one else seemed to notice anything, but I certainly had. I listened intently, trying to hear what they were now whispering to one another. Even with my increased ability to hear, I could not discern what they were saying over the din of everyone else's voices, especially with Fred and George still singing that obnoxious chant.

"I bet Dumbledore turns up this evening to celebrate with us, you know." Ron said happily through a mouthful of food.

"I don't think he'll be able to Ron," Said Mrs. Weasley, setting something that smelled like roast chicken on the table in front of us, "He's really very busy at the moment. Oh, that reminds me, Katrina, we need to talk about something."

"HE GOT OFF! HE GOT OFF; HE GOT OFF—"

"SHUT UP!" Mrs. Weasley roared. "That's better. Katrina, now there is something serious we need to discuss."

"Yes?" I asked. I was really wondering what she would say. Perhaps it was about Charlie and I, but then would she really use the word 'serious'. Yes, our relationship was sudden, but not unexpected.

"Well, Mr. Weasley has just informed me that Dumbledore spoke to him before leaving. He had a request of sorts for you."

I was intrigued now. As a student of Hogwarts, I had been a prefect, but I had never been one of Dumbledore's "favorites" so naturally, I wondered what he could possibly request of me. "Of course. Well I'd be glad to help him in any way I can."

"Katrina, you have to understand that you are under no pressure to agree to this," Mrs. Weasley started.

"Of course."

"Alright then, well, Dumbledore has specifically requested that you go to Hogwarts this year, as a…spy of sorts. You'll be aiding Hagrid with his classes, and listening in for any…suspicious activity, for lack of a better term,"

Even without my sight, I knew that Charlie was angry. His muscles were tense and I knew it was only a matter of moments before an outburst.

"Mum! That's absurd. You can't possibly support this! It's too dangerous. Look at what happened last time," Charlie bust. That stung. I knew he was worried about me, but I couldn't help the reply that slipped out.

"That's not fair, Charlie. Why can you go out and risk your life for everyone and I have to sit here, doing nothing. Mrs. Weasley, tell Dumbledore that I'll take the job. I'll be there for the start of the term," I replied angrily.

"Kat, you're being irrational. This isn't safe. Please, think about it."

"Charlie, if you can't respect my decision, then you can't respect me. I have just as much of a right to work for the Order as anyone else does, and just because I'm blind does not mean that I'm helpless," I yelled. I heard chairs scraping as the others rushed out of the room. "I can hear twice as well as you can. Plus, this is Hogwarts, Charlie, the safest place from You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters."

"Charlie, she has a valid point," Mrs. Weasley added kindly.

He sighed. "I know. I know she does, Kat, I know you do. I just worry about you. I only just found you and I don't want to lose you."

His words were touching. I knew he cared, but hearing him say it made it better. "But this is Hogwarts. With Dumbledore and all the charms on the school, I'll be fine."

Charlie grunted. "I promise," I smiled, kissing him lightly.

"Alright, but you'd better write to me, and if I so much as hear that you even got a cut, I'll be furious. I don't anything to happen to my girl," he said, whispering the last part.

"Nothing will. I'll be careful. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to take care of you too," Charlie nudged me lightly.

I laughed. "So then it's settled, I'll go at the start of term," I told Mrs. Weasley.

"Alright. Dumbledore'll be glad to hear it, darling. And Charlie, there's no need to worry. Professor Snape as well as your brothers, Ginny, Harry, and Hermione will be there too. Not that she'll need looking after," Mrs. Weasley patted my back lightly before walking out of the room, leaving us alone.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you," I apologized, leaning against him.

He put his arm around me, pulling me closer and kissing the top of my head. "Don't be. I was being a git…I suppose I was just scared. I thought I lost you once already. I don't know what I'd do if I actually lost you."

"Let's not worry about things that won't ever happen," I smiled at him. "Look at us. We haven't even been a couple for a day and already, we've had a row."

_"Well, at least it's over with," he laughed. "Besides, we've basically been a couple since Hogwarts. Neither one of us wanted to admit it, though."_

"Very true, Mr. Weasley, very true," I said, tapping the tip of his nose playfully.

"You make me sound old, love. It sounds like you're talking to my father."

"Well, would I do this," I whispered, kissing his neck, then his lips, "to your father?"

"You're a downright vixen, Katrina," Charlie growled.

"But I'm your vixen," I growled back, kissing him again.

TLIB TLIB TLIB

Fred, George, Ginny, Harry and I were sitting in an upstairs bedroom, talking about this year's term. Charlie had left a few days ago to go back to Romania, but not before giving me a goodbye kiss and making me promise to write to him every chance I got. I had told everyone of my new "job" at Hogwarts this year, and to my surprise, most of them were ecstatic. Fred and George made me promise not to report them for any pranks, but I could not guarantee that I wouldn't. However, I had promised to overlook any pranks on Slytherins, especially on Malfoy.

Ron walked into the room, tossing an envelope to everyone. "Booklists have arrived. About time, I thought they'd forgotten, they usually come much earlier than this…"

I was surprised to find that I had received a letter too. I grumbled, knowing that I would have to get someone to read it to me. I opened the envelope, pulling out the letter and unfolding it. Suddenly, a voice filled my head; Dumbledore's voice. "Dearest Katrina, I was so glad to hear that you have accepted my offer. As you might already know, you will be helping Hagrid with his classes, as I know you have always had skill with magical creatures. You'll also be acting as a higher-level Gryffindor prefect, staying in the dorms and watching out for any suspicious behavior. You'll have access to every dormitory and students will be informed of this as well. You should inform either Minerva or I of any suspicious behavior. Regards, Albus Dumbledore."

Harry's voice broke me out of my trance, "One two new ones; The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5, by Miranda Goshwk and Defensive Magical Theory, by Wilbert Slinkhard."

"We were just wondering who assigned the Slinkhard book," said Fred.

"Because it means that Dumbledore's found a new Defense Against eh Dark Arts teacher," said George.

"And about time too," said Fred.

"What d'you mean?" I asked.

"Well, we overheard Mum and Dad talking on the Extendable Ears a few weeks back," Fred told me, "and from what they were saying, Dumbledore was having real trouble finding anyone to do the job this year."

"Not surprising, is it, when you look at what's happened to the last four?" said George. "But then if he was looking for a new teacher, then why not hire Katrina? She's a wonderful witch and he already hired her as an assistant to Hagrid? Why not give her her own job?"

"One sacked, one dead, one's memory removed, and one locked in a trunk for nine months, it's no wonder Dumbledore didn't want to give Katrina that position. It's too much of a risk," Harry interjected.

The room went silent for a few minutes. "What's up with you, Ron?" asked Fred.

"What's the matter?" said Fred with growing impatience, moving around to stand next to Ron and peering at the paper in his hand.

Both of them fell silent and I had to ask, "Alright, what's going on?"

"Prefect?" Fred said incredulously. "Prefect?"

George then leapt up, presumably to grab the letter. "No way," he said in a hushed voice.

"There must've been a mistake. No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect…"

They then turned their attention to Harry, "We thought you were a cert!" Fred said, almost sounding as if he were suggesting that Harry was trying to trick them in some way.

"We thought Dumbledore was bound to pick you!" George exclaimed.

"Winning the Triwizard and everything!" Fred said.

"I suppose all the mad stuff must've counted against him," George said to Fred.

"Yeah," Fred replied slowly. "Yeah, you've caused him too much trouble, mate. Well, at least on of you's got their priorities right."

"Boys, you're not helping," I intervened, speaking specifically to George and his counterpart.

"Prefect…ickle Ronnie the prefect…"

"Oh, Mum's going to be revolting," groaned George, tossing the Prefect badge to Ron.

Hermione, on the other hand, was certain that it was a mistake. "Ron?" she asked, "But…are you sure? I mean—"

"It's my name on the letter," Ron said angrily.

"I…" said Hermione, clearly unable to form a coherent thought. "I…well… well… wow! Well done, Ron! That's really—"

"Unexpected," George said.

"No," said Hermione. I had a feeling that she was blushing. Hmmm… perhaps she and Ron were like Charlie and I. I grinned as she continued, validating my theory. "no, it's not…Ron's done loads of…he's really…"

The door swung open and Mrs. Weasley entered the room, with a pile of fresh-smelling laundry. I assumed that it was our robes that she had insisted on washing.

"Ginny said the booklists had come at last," she said, passing out the robes to everyone. "Oh, and Katrina, they've sent you a new pair of robes. They're quite nice, dear. If the rest of you give me the lists I'll take them over to Diagon Alley this afternoon and get your books while you're packing. Ron, I'll have to get you more pajamas, these are at least six inches too short…what color would you like? And Katrina, if you need anything at all, let me know and I'll be sure to pick it up for you."

"Get him red and gold to match his badge," George smirked.

"Match his what?" Mrs. Weasley replied absently.

"His badge," Fred said quickly, trying to get it out of the way. "His lovely shiny new prefect's badge."

Mrs. Weasley squealed. "I don't believe it! I don't believe it! Oh, Ron, how wonderful! A prefect! That's everyone in the family!"

"What are Fred and I, next-door neighbors?" George said indignantly. I choked back a laugh at his comment. Leave it to Mrs. Weasley to forget about Fred and George's apparent lack of 'success'. The family dynamics between the Weaslys never ceased to amuse me.

Mrs. Weasley continued on, "Wait until your father hears! Ron, I'm so proud of you, what wonderful news, you could end up Head Boy like Bill and Percy, it's the first step. Oh, what a thing to happen in the middle of all this worry, I'm just thrilled, oh Ronnie…" I chuckled at that. I was sure Fred and George would not let him live that down. Then again, if I were them, I probably would do tease Ron as well. I refrained from that now, though, because he and I had never been particularly close like I had been with other members of his family.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello to all my dear readers!**

**I am SO SO SO sorry for not updating in a really long time (has it really been 2-3 weeks?) With studying for finals and (trying)to get the normal/necessary 8 hours of sleep, I have literally had no free time at all, which unfortunately meant that I couldn't work on this story. But not to worry, I'm back from the dead and more motivated than ever to write more. I swear, being away from Katrina and Charlie made me sad. I think it's safe to say that I'm more invested in their relationship than I am in any potential relationship that I might have with a guy, but I digress. **

**Thanks to all of you for sticking with me through all of this, and this chapter is dedicated to all you wonderful readers, without whom this story may have would up in what I like to call "The Graveyard," which is where my ideas that never get turned into stories go to "rest in peace," as it were.**

**On a side note, I had a sleepover with my two besties last night, which was AWESOME. We ate way too much food, stayed up way too late (okay, we only stayed up until 2...but for me, that's way past my bedtime...I happen to like sleep), and watched the classic rom-com "Monster-In-Law"...and then thought it would be a good idea to watch scream in my friend's basement with all the lights off right before we went to sleep, yeah, we're smart like that. **

**In short, I'm tired as heck, but I love you guys so much that I'd rather edit/post this chapter now instead of sleeping, which I probably won't be able to do considering the fact that I've watched 3 scary movies today. Guess who's going to OD on coffee tonight!**

**Anyway, without further rambling, here's the newest chapter of True Love is Blind.**

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><p>True Love is Blind Chapter 8<p>

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

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><p>"WOULD YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!" Mrs. Wesley bellowed. I jumped, startled by her sudden outburst, her loud, clear voice ringing throughout the old house. I tried to grab my things, as we were leaving for King's Cross today.<p>

In a few hours, I would be back at Hogwarts. That was an odd thought; despite my excitement to be back and working with magical creatures, I could not help but feel anxious. What I would be doing was highly irregular, and, from what I had heard, there would be a Ministry Official assigned to work at Hogwarts this year to judge it's "progress" and "effectiveness," or some other bullshit like that. I knew full well, as I'm sure the other members of the Order did, that the only reason this was happening was to keep an eye on Dumbledore. As tensions between him and the Ministry increased, the school had come under attack as well. Papers like _The Prophet_ were criticizing the establishment, and of course, Dumbledore.

Fred and George appeared in the room out of nowhere, startling me yet again, this time causing me to jump and scream, knocking into my bags and sending me falling onto my bed. I lay there, face down, trying not to laugh at what had just happened, but failing.

"I didn't think we were _that_ frightening, Forge," Fred laughed. Leave it to them to make a joke even when their mother was frantically rushing about, and fairly likely to rip their heads off if they were late or wasted time.

"We? I believe it's _you_ that scared her," George insisted. Ahh, the typical banter between the two. If it weren't so funny, I would have stopped them right there, but I knew there was really no harm in it, as they did this quite often. And frankly, I found it to be hilarious.

"Impossible. I'm the more handsome and loved twin. I couldn't possibly scare anyone," Fred quipped. He was right, except for the part about being the more handsome and loved twin...and the part about not being able to scare anyone, as he had proved just moments earlier...so, essentially, he was completely wrong. Both twins were loved equally, and from my memory of their looks, I couldn't say which one was "more handsome."

"Uhm, Fred, you do realize that I can't see you, right? Therefore your argument about being the 'more handsome' twin is completely invalid," I interjected before their argument would take up time, thus bringing Mrs. Weasley's wrath down upon us. There was also something to be said, however, about how I enjoyed stirring the pot. I would sometimes interrupt their playful arguments and present some logic that I enjoyed hearing them try to refute. It was quite entertaining, really. Those two could be professional comedians if their joke shop never took off. I made a mental not to ask them later how exactly that was coming along, as I was curious.

"She has a point, you know," George stated, chuckling lightly.

"Stuff it," Fred grumbled. "That doesn't matter though, because Katrina obviously loves me more."

I sighed and shook my head. Those two were incorrigible, but I loved them all the same. "Oh, of course Fred. Because I _obviously_ have made it _so _clear that you're my favorite. It's not like George and I are friends or anything. Now since you're my favorite twin, you wouldn't have a problem with taking my bags down for me, now would you? I can't quite get them down the stairs since I can't see."

"Ahh, the benefits of being the favorite twin," George laughed.

Instead of responding to George, Fred laughed and replied to me, "Of course, Katrina. I'd be honored to do this as an official duty of your favorite twin." That was one of the things I loved about them. Instead of complaining, like Ron probably would have, Fred and George made a joke of it. It was refreshing, in a way, to have their humor as a break in the heavy, morose air that had settled over the home since the events at the Triwizard Tournament.

He and George each took some of my bags, as they had already taken theirs downstairs, and headed out the door. As soon as we entered the hallway, we were met by the howling of Mrs. Black's portrait, obviously enraged, screaming her usual insults of "_Blood-Traitors, Half-breeds, SCUM, FILTH," _and other things of the like. However, no one bothered to close the curtains over her. Everyone was in a rush.

"Harry, you'll come with me and Tonks," Mrs. Weasley shouted over the screams of the portrait, "Oh, good, Katrina, Fred, George, you're all here. We're about to leave. Harry leave your trunk and your owl, Alastor's going to deal with the luggage. Same for you three...Oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!"

I was confused at the last statement, but George clarified things for me, whispering, "Sirius is trying to escort us to King's Cross in his animagus form." That made more sense to me. I had grown relatively used to being blind, but the one thing that really annoyed me about it was the fact that I missed out on a lot of important details. I could hear very well, which would undoubtedly help with my new job, as I would need to be aware of animals approaching me, but that still did not make up for the fact that I could not _see_ the events that were going on.

"Oh honestly..." Mrs. Weasley muttered to Sirius despairingly, "well, on your own head be it!"

I was greeted by a rush of fresh air when she wrenched open the front door and we all stepped out into the cool September air. Harry and Sirius in his dog form were following her with Fred, George, and I behind them.

"Where's Tonks," Harry asked, "Isn't she taking us to King's Cross?"

"She's right ahead. She'll be waiting for us," Mrs. Weasley said with a groan, most likely resulting from her disapproval at Sirius' decision to accompany us.

"Wotcher Harry, Fred, George, Katrina," Tonks said smiling. "Better hurry up, hadn't we, Molly?" she added after a minute.

"Tonks, you look ancient!" Fred laughed.

As the twins later told me, she had changed her appearance to look like an old woman, hair tightly curled and gray, and was wearing a purple hat shaped like a porkpie.

"I know, I know," she moaned. "But Mad-Eye wanted to wait for Sturgis...If only Arthur could have gotten us cars from the Ministry again...but Fudge wouldn't let him borrow so much as an empty ink bottle these days..._How_ muggles can stand traveling without magic.."

I wasn't sure what was happening, but I knew Sirius was running around snapping at pigeons who skwaked loudly before flying away. Everyone was laughing at his antics. However, I could understand his euphoria at being outside. I knew what it was like to be trapped inside for months, and I was sure that if I wasn't blind, I would probably have acted in a similar way.

In the end, we walked to King's Cross on foot, and thankfully nothing eventful happened during that time. I was sure that if something "eventful" had happened, it would have been bad. Once inside, we waited casually between platforms, waiting for the coast to be clear so that we could safely cross the barrier to platform 9 ¾. George had to help me cross because I would have had a hard time of it on my own, and would have very likely ended up running into someone, or something.

"I hope the others make it in time," Mrs. Weasley said anxiously.

"I'm sure they're fine, Mrs. Weasley. They're probably just caught up in a crowd," I replied, not wanting her to worry without reason.

Just as I had said, the others soon appeared. "Oh, good. Here's Alastor with the luggage."

"Has anyone followed you?" I asked Mad-Eye softly.

"No. I don't think so. But I'll be reporting Sturgis to Dumbledore. That's the second time he's not turned up in a week. Getting as unreliable as Mundungus."

"Well, look after yourselves. I've got to go," Lupin said as he shook all our hands, giving Harry a clap on the shoulder.

"Yeah, keep your head down and your eyes peeled," said Moody, and directed at me, "Be careful what you report in your writing. Even owling letters can be dangerous now. Never know who could get a hold of your letter. Better to communicate through the floo-network. And the first time you see _anything_ mildly suspicious, report it. Any lead could help."

I nodded. "I will. Don't worry, I've got a handle on this."

"Dumbledore trusts you and so do I. You've proven that you're unusually sturdy, and your investigative reporting for the _Prophet_ was phenomenal. You know what you're doing, I'll give you that."

"It's been great meeting all of you," said Tonks to Ginny and Hermione, "And Katrina, it's been good seeing you again. It's been quite a while since Hogwarts, hasn't it?"

"That it has, Tonks. Be careful out there," I smiled, hugging her.

"You as well. Charlie'll be livid if anything happens to you."

Mrs. Weasley's voice interrupted our conversation, "Quick, quick, Write...Be good...If you've forgotten anything we'll send it on...Onto the train, now, hurry..."

George grabbed my hand, pulling me onto the steps and eventually onto the train with the rest of them. I wasn't quite sure what to do. I was technically a teacher, but I wasn't sure where teachers met on the train, if at all, or if they just regrouped when they reached the castle. It would have been easier to figure things out if I could see, but, of course, I couldn't.

"Come on, Katrina. We don't have all day. Let's go find a compartment before they're all taken up and we're stuck sitting with Malfoy and his idiotic minions," Fred laughed.

I chuckled in response, "Now that's a fate I wouldn't wish on anyone."

I started to follow the direction that Fred and George were leading me, saying something about meeting up with Lee and some others. However, before I could get too far, I heard the sneering drawl that could only belong to one person; Draco.

"Oh well look who's here. My pathetic cousin Katrina Westing. Shame you're wasting your potential hanging out with those blood traitors, but then again, you never really possessed the caliber to be a pureblood. Oh, and what's happened to your face? Get scratched by something?" he taunted. "With a face like that, it'll be a miracle if anyone would marry you, not that any purebloods would lower themselves by marrying a blood-traitor like yourself."

I whirled around, furious, "Look Malfoy," I spit angrily, "you may be my cousin, but that won't stop me from hexing you to Romania and back. I am a _professor_ here and, as such, I _demand_ that you treat me with respect. Congratulations, Mister Malfoy, you've just earned yourself a detention and you haven't even been here five minutes."

With that, I turned on my heel, leaving him dumbfounded behind me.

"Katrina! That was bloody brilliant! But you do know his father will likely be furious," Fred grinned.

"I'm not afraid of his father anymore. I have a personal score to settle with him," I said fingering the scars on my face gingerly.

"You mean he was the one who-" George started.

"Who gave me these scars? Yes. It was him. My bloody _perfect pureblood Uncle_. Honestly, that man's got more problems than the entire school combined. Anyway, there's not much he can do, is there? I'm a professor and he _did_ insult me. I was in full right to give him a detention," I interjected.

"Kat, you're scary when you're mad. Remind us never to get on your bad side," George teased me, nudging my shoulder lightly.

"And to think Charlie was worried about her. If he were here, I'm sure he'd be right shocked out of his mind," Fred continued.

"Oh, stuff it, you two. I told him I've got it sorted. He trusts me, and I expect that you two will _not_ be telling him about this," I said, trying to sound serious, but failing miserably when I burst out laughing moments later. "All right, let's go find that compartment. I'll meet with Hagrid and Dumbledore when we get there. All I ask is for you to let me know when we're close so I can change into my robes."

"Sure thing," the said together. I hoped that they wouldn't try to make a joke out of that, but, knowing them, I had to be prepared for anything. If anything, I could always ask someone else in the compartment when they were going to change into their robes.

We were walking through the corridor in the third car of the train, trying to find an empty compartment when we heard someone call the twin's names, "Fred, George, come sit with us!"

"That was Angelina," Fred told me. We walked a few more feet before entering the compartment and setting down our things.

"Everyone, this is Katrina...erm...rather...Professor Westing, I suppose. She'll be helping Hagrid out this year," George introduced me to the group, including Lee, Angelina, and a few others whose names I couldn't quite remember.

"She's Charlie's girl," Fred added suggestively. I glared at him...or what I hoped was him. I couldn't really tell, but nonetheless, I sent a dirty look in his general direction.

"And _that_ is none of your business, Fred," I growled.

"But you're practically our _sister_."

"Oh, stuff it. You're impossible. Anyway, yes, I'm Professor Katrina Westing. For now, you can call me Katrina, as I really don't like being called Professor, but once we reach Hogwarts, I'd appreciate it if you'd call me Professor Westing or Professor Katrina," I said. I didn't want the other students getting the wrong idea, thinking they could call me by my first name or disrespect me. However, I really didn't like being addressed as "Professor," it made me feel old, and I wasn't really all that much older than the 6th and 7th years. I knew, though, that if I let Fred, George, and their friends get away with it, the Slytherins would surely make things ten times worse, the respectless prats that they were.

After the train arrived, and I had successfully changed into my robes, with a little help from Angelina, who was actually very nice; I could see why Fred and George liked her. We were ushered to the carriages, pulled by thestrals. Thestrals were some of my favorite magical creatures. I had never seen one, but they never ceased to amaze me. They were misunderstood, and I knew full well what that was like, being treated like an outcast and a leper in my own family for the sole reason that I did not have any regard for blood-status.

As I was stepping out of the carriage, I was met by a familiar voice; it was Dumbledore.

"Ahh, Ms. Westing. So good to see you again," he chuckled lightly.

"It's good to see you too, Sir," I relpied.

"Please, Katrina, call me Albus. We are, after all, now working together."

"Alright then, Albus," I smiled.

"Please, walk with me a bit. I believe that there are a few things that we must discuss about your job here," he began.

"Am I not to be helping with care of magical creatures? Is there something else that I'll be doing?" I was curious now. Perhaps he had left something out in his description of my job, or there could have been circumstances that arose. Either way, I waited patiently for him to continue, holding onto his arm as he lead me away from the crowded entrance hall and towards a more secluded wing.

"I'm afraid that I may have mislead you in my letter," he said almost apprehensively. "You will still be acting as a helper to our Professor of care of magical creatures, but that Professor isn't quite who you were expecting, I'm afraid."

"Si-Albus...does that mean that Hargid is not at Hogwarts?" I asked. I knew that Hagrid was longing to do work for the Order but had not been doing much as of late, of at least I had _thought_ he was not doing all that much.

"Hagrid is away on...business," Dumbledore said, then whispering, "I dare not speak the true nature of this business for the Ministry has found a way to infiltrate our school and I no longer know where I am able to speak freely of business involving the Order."

That made sense, then. He had mentioned earlier that there would be some Ministry official coming to Hogwarts, but if it was enough to make Dumbledore paranoid, I was worried. I suppose I shouldn't say _paranoid_...perhaps...cautious would be a better word. However, despite that, I knew that it had to be serious if Dumbledore refused to speak of something due to the official's presence at school.

"Of course. I understand. Then who will I be assisting?" I asked.

"You will be working with Professor Grubbly-Plank. I believe the two of you are already acquainted."

I had to fight back a scoff and spiteful laugh. That woman had hated me. Actually, hated was too mild of a word; she had absolutely detested me, and yet, to this day, I had no idea why. Though from what I had been able to garner during my years at school, I believed that it had something to do with my family. I wasn't surprised though, nor did I blame her. I hated my family, and I was part of it. I could never seem to blame anyone for their negative feelings towards my family; I know that it's an awful thing to say, but it was still true. They had caused me so much pain and damage that even I , their own daughter, despised them.

After a moment of silence, Dumbledore added, "I know you do not like Professor Plank, but there is more at stake than you know...I asked you to come as a balance. The Ministry thinks that they have an advantage, but I know that you are an asset, Katrina. You've always been bright, and I've heard that your loss of sight has heightened your other senses quite nicely. If you ever hear anything, make sure to let me know."

"Of course. You're the first person to think of my blindness as a beneficial thing, as opposed to something that makes me weak, a cripple," I said bitterly, the memories of my fight with Charlie rushing back.

"Do not blame young Mr. Weasley, Katrina. He only worries for your safety. He's quite fond of you, you know; I suspect he's only trying to protect you. Now, let's return to the Great Hall. I do believe that I am in the mood for a bit of treacle tart," he said happily, leaving me dumbfounded. Leave it to Dumbledore to already know about my relationship with Charlie. I swear, that man knew absolutely _everything_ that went again, he was brilliant; I was sure that he knew other things that I couldn't even imagine.

A few moments later, we were walking into the Great Hall, seating ourselves at the teacher's table. I was greeted by Professor Flitwick, and some other teachers I remembered from my own years at Hogwarts. However, unsurprisingly, Snape only muttered a cold hello, ignoring me for the rest of the night. I was glad, though, as I disliked Snape quite a bit and was relieved to avoid having to carry on a conversation with him.

I found myself wondering idly who this Ministry Official would be, but I did not need to wait long to find out. There was a scraping of chairs as people stood up to make way for someone. A chair was pulled out right next to me, and a woman sat down in it.

"Dolores Umbridge, I work for the Minister. And you are?" She queried, turning to look at me, "Well, don't just stare blindly, shake my hand."

I laughed at her choice of words. I turned to face her and she let out a small tut-tut sound. "Oh my. Disfigured and blind. And you're a teacher here? Care of magical creatures...unsafe. A hazard to all students."

This woman was seriously starting to irk me. I could understand concern about a blind woman teaching a class dealing with magical creatures, but to go as far as to call me disfigured and call me a "hazard to all students." I clenched my fists. Plus, her voice was the epitome of annoying to me. It was too sweet, like she was trying entirely too hard to sound polite. This would not end well, I could tell. "I may be blind and _disfigured_," I spat spitefully, "but that does not mean that I am incapable of teaching. I'll be teaching more care and handling with less demonstration anyway. That's why I'm an _assistant_."

She huffed, "Why I was only expressing concern for the students of this school. And judging by your blatant rudeness, the Minister was right to send me. Hogwarts has really gone to the dogs since its prime. You can be sure that I'll be checking in on your class to ensure that no harm comes to students under your _watch_."

I growled, standing up, ready to about rip her head from her body for her joke. She was blatantly mocking my blindness. I had never been one to explode at others, I was tolerant, if not overly stubborn, but this woman was on a whole new level of disrespectful. I could tell now that there would be issues between us.

Before I could open my mouth to retort, a hand was placed on my shoulder. "Professor Westing, that's enough. Dolores, you will not insult our staff, nor will you mock or joke about her unfortunate loss of sight. Professor Westing, you will leave Dolores alone to do her duties. I will not tolerate fighting between teachers and Ministry officials," McGonagall stated.

She drew me off to the side, "Katrina, it is lovely to see you again. You always were such a wonderful student, but you must be careful who you insult or pick fights with. What she said was out of line, I am not denying that, but she has it out for every teacher at this school. I am not saying that you have to love her, but do not give her a reason to remove you from staff. Your job is of too much importance to be sacrificed. I will try to make sure that Professor Grubbly-Plank ensures that Dolores does not insult you. I know you two did not get on well in the past, but I do believe that things will be different now."

"Thank you. I'll do my best. I can't make any promises. There's something...off...about that woman. She sounds too kind...it's almost sickly, patronizing. I won't seek out trouble, but I won't let her speak to me like that again," I said. I did not want to cause trouble or loose my job, but I could not let her walk all over me, especially not now. I had gone through far too much to take any of her shit.

The rest of the feast went relatively smoothly, beginning as it normally would, until the sorting hat was brought out. It's new song struck me to the core. It was unsettling, like it was warning us. I made sure to remember it's words.

Then came the sorting. I tried to pay attention to names, as I would undoubtedly be having to teach some of those very students. It would be difficult to remember names, though, as I now remembered people's names and voices together, considering that I couldn't see their faces.

After the food was finished, Dumbledore rose and began his classic beginning-of-year speech. "Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term noticies. First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students-and a few of our older students ought to know by now too," I laughed silently at this, remembering the nights Charlie had spent sneaking out to the forest and wandering around together.

He continued, "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We have changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons, and we are also pleased to welcome back a former student, Professor Katrina Westing, with whom some of you might be acquainted with already, who will be working as Professor Grubbly-Plank's are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

I gasped at this. This could lead to no good. Surely this Ministry-loving-Official would ruin the class. I hoped that there would be some way in which I could help students _really_ learn Defense Against the Dark Arts. I knew the Ministry's opinions on hands-on classes and frowned at the thought of the students being deprived of essential knowledge, most of which I had learned during _my_ Hogwarts years, so I believed it was important for them to get a proper education in the subject. I would think more about that later, though. First, I had to prepare for my first day as a Professor.


	9. Quick Author's NotePlease Read

**A/N:**

**I know I kind of disappeared for a while there, but I wanted to let you all know that I am NOT in any way, shape, or form giving up this story. I was at my camp completing a 7-week CIT (Counselor-In-Training) Program. I'm in the middle of writing the next chapter so it should be up within the next few days, depending on what my schedule is like. However, it shouldn't be more than a week before it's up, so keep checking back :)**

**I want to thank all my readers, especially everyone who had favorited/added me to their alert lists/left a review. It really means a lot to me, and it makes me keep wanting to write. **

**While I was at camp, a few plot bunnies popped into my head so there may be another story posted on fictionpress, which is for original stories, as opposed to fanfiction. If I do decide to do that, I'll let you all know the title so that you can check it out if you'd like to.**

**Anyway, I just wanted to let you know what was going on, in case anyone was thinking that I abondoned this story.**

**Love always 3**


	10. Chapter 9

True Love is Blind Chapter 9

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

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><p><strong>Author's Note: So here, as promised is chapter 9! Sorry if it's not edited quite up to it's usual standard. I have been so busy lately between prepping for school, driving lessons, work, and trying to unpack my trunk from camp, but I have been writing and keeping up with the story. It may be a little while until the next chapter is posted, as I just started writing it today, but it should be up within the next one to two weeks (hopefully). For now though, I'll be trying to write it and edit it. <strong>

**As always, this chapter is dedicated to all my wonderful fans, without whom there would not even be a story. You guys keep me going and inspire me to write (as well as to post things as quickly as I can). I'm so surprised with how well this story has been recieved, but I'm also so happy. It makes me ridiculously happy to see that I have a review/alert/favorite. **

**Anyway, enough of me rambling. Here's the next chapter**

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><p>Chapter 9<p>

As Dumbledore continued his speech, I found myself missing things from time to time. My mind was whirling. I kept thinking about class tomorrow, how I would handle the students, what we would be doing in class, although that was easy enough to guess; we would, no doubt brief the students on the standard introduction to the course along with the safety precautions.

Thinking of magical creatures immediately brought my mind to Charlie. I wondered if he was safe. He was back in Romania now, working on the reserve, as well as continuing to do work for the Order. Though I had been away from him for so much longer in the past, now that we were a couple, it was different. It was like my missing him was heightened. It was an acute feeling of missing something...I couldn't quite describe it, but it was almost as if he had left with a part of myself.

I tried to push those thoughts out of my mind, though. I could not afford to miss out on any important information. If I was to keep my job with that hag from the Ministry overseeing everything that went on at Hogwarts, I had to do my best to give her no reason to want me gone. Well, no more reason than she already had, I mean I suppose she could not be blamed for worrying about the fact that I, a blind woman, would be teaching a class full of magical creatures, but that still did not dismiss the fact that I found her to be obnoxious and pompous.

I tried to listen to Dumbledore again, making it seem like I was paying full attention to his words, "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the-"

Just as soon as I had started to pay attention, though, the annoying, toad-like, Umbridge interrupted him, "_Hem, hem_."

I knew then, that she was about to make a speech. I was appalled; no one had _ever_ had the gall to interrupt Dumbledore. This woman took the word 'disrespectful' to a whole new level. I could not believe some of the things she had said and done, and I had only known her for a few hours at most. I heard her chair scrape against the ground as she stood up from next to me. I tried my hardest not to make a face showing my displeasure. _Behave Katrina_, I scolded myself_, there is too much at stake to risk this...think of what Dumbledore and McGonagall have said...tolerate her...kill her with kindness...anything to avoid being fired...what would Charlie think...there...do this for Charlie, think of how proud he'll be if you uncover something important_.

Feeling sufficiently more calm and determined, I sat back, preparing for Umbridge's speech.

"Thank you, Headmaster," she simpered annoyingly, "for those kind words of welcome."

Her voice was so high-pitched, it reminded me of a small girl. I could not help the rush of dislike that I felt for her. It seemed that she thought she was trying to fool people into thinking that she was innocent and kind, when in reality, I was sure that she was manipulative and cold-hearted. She might have fooled some of the other staff members, but she would not fool me, but that did not mean that I would give in to her taunting.

This was my job. I had to take it seriously. I couldn't let her get to me. I had to be strong, for the sake of the Order.

Again, my thoughts were interrupted by Umbridge, "_Hem, hem_. Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say," she paused, probably to flash a phony smile at the gathered students, "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"

I had to bite my tongue to resist laughing outright at that absurd statement. Though I could not see, I knew enough of teenagers and students at Hogwarts to be _certain_that none of the "happy little faces" were smiling up at her. If anything, they were probably either half asleep, or taken aback by being treated and spoken to like children.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we will all be very _very_good friends," she trilled. I almost snorted at this. Goodness, she was outdoing herself already. She had barely spoken two sentences and already I could not take her seriously. Though, I was sure, there was a darker, more sinister, side to this overly-friendly woman.

With another "_hem, hem,_" she went back to speaking, "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction-"

_Yeah, because she would provide that 'careful' instruction_, I thought bitterly.

"-The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generation lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

_That's rich,_ I thought_, _considering within seconds of meeting me, she had judged me and essentially deemed me unworthy and a "potential hazard" to students. I could only wonder how many other Professors she would be dissatisfied with. From what I had heard from McGonagall, I was sure that she too was finding this speech as amusing as I was, if not thinking that Umbridge was full of crap, for lack of a better description.

"_Hem, hem_," she cleared her throat...another thing to add to the list of things about her that annoyed me, "Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. Then again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged," my mouth fell open at this; she was essentially saying that unless there was a _direct purpose_for bettering the education and community, that it should be discouraged...this woman was mental, completely mental, "for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation."

And those changes would surely be 'Ministry approved,' which essentially meant taking out any legitimately practical knowledge, and replacing it with filler. I prayed to whatever higher power there might be that this woman would not be here long. If she was, I feared for the future of the school...and it's students.

"...because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgement," surely hiring me, a blind woman, would fall under her criteria for a so-called 'error of judgement,' but who had made her so high-and-mighty, to decide such things, "Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

Finally her speech had concluded. Somewhere down the table, someone clapped. I assumed it was Dumbledore, in an attempt to be polite and civil with her.

"Thank you Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," Dumbledore said, standing up once again, "Now-as I was saying, Quidittch will be held..."

I spaced out again, trying to process everything that she had just said. I knew Dumbledore's words were important, but I felt that this woman would do more harm than good for the school. I struggled to remember the words, but finally got the gist of it. I would write down what I could remember and owl it to the Order. This woman had the potential to cause much trouble, and the members of the Order needed to be aware. I was not quite sure if she was working for You-Know-Who, but her sickly sweetness was not fooling me. There was something more to this woman.

Her words about changes in schooling especially worried me. The lessons I had learned at Hogwarts had made me the witch that I was today. If it weren't for some of the spells I had learned at school, I might not have survived some of my investigative reporting sessions during my job with the _Prophet_. Those spells had saved my life, and from what Umbridge had said, I was sure that the students' educations were now at risk. And now that You-Know-Who was back, despite what the Ministry had to say about that particular topic, these students would need _all the training they could get_.

I would write a letter with Fred and George's help as soon as we were dismissed from the Great Hall. It would be good to have multiple perspectives on her, though for that, it might be beneficial to get Harry and Hermione's opinions, as the twins were not always the most serious people. Either way, that letter would be written. Even if the Order members already knew, at least it would prove that I was doing my job, and taking it seriously.

I was not stupid; I knew that certain members had doubted my capabilities in performing my duties due to the fact that, well, I could not see anything. However, I knew better than anyone that this perhaps actually made things _better _for me. A strange thought, I know...the idea that being rendered unable to see could actually be _beneficial_ to someone, but nonetheless, I felt that there was some truth to the statement; I could hear exceptionally well and now could easily recognize voices. I could pick up on hushed voices that others might not even hear. Yes, I was self-conscious about the scars on my face, and yes, I could not cook or clean very well, and again, yes, I could not see people's faces or actions, but even despite all that, I now felt that this might even be a blessing in disguise. Especially now that I knew that Charlie did love me, no matter what I looked like. I suppose that before I was so afraid, fixated on the worry of being rejected for my appearance, but it seemed that now that Charlie and I were a couple, those worries suddenly seemed foolish.

I knew then that I _would_ do my job and prove to everyone, even Charlie, that just because I was blind, that did not mean that I was a cripple or incapable of doing my part to aid in the efforts against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers, some of whom could be students here. If there was any information to be found, I would discover it. Of that, they could be sure.

The feast had ended and we were now sent back to the dormitories. The teachers would be patrolling the hallways for any students out of bed; however, I would not be asked to do this for a while, to say the least. Since I had grown unaccustomed to the hallways and corridors of Hogwarts in my time spent away from it, I would most likely not be able to walk alone through the halls at night, and if a student had stopped moving as they heard me approach, I would not be able to catch them, as I would not be able to see them. Then, there was the matter of the members of the staff who had expressed concern about this very thing, and I was _sure_ Umbridge had been one of them.

Following a pack of Gryffindors, I carefully listened to their footsteps and managed to find my way to the common room. They laughed and went off in some other direction, but I would not hold that against them. There was still time before curfew. Outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, I heard a voice, Harry's voice to be precise.

"Err..." he said rather glumly. Typical. He probably hadn't had time to ask anyone the password, and if I hadn't came, would have been stuck waiting for someone who did know it, which was rather annoying, but I understood the need for the precaution. With things like the Polyjuice Potion, it was easy to impersonate someone else, and hence the need for a password to enter. It might be likely that an impersonator would not know the password, and thus wouldn't be able to get into the common rooms.

"Harry. It's all right. I know the password. Dumbledore told me before I came up," I said, stepping out of the stairwell and walking towards where I had heard his voice earlier. "_Mimbulus mimbletonia!_"

"Correct," the Fat Lady said, and there was a subtle _click_ sound as her portrait swung open like a door, revealing the circular hole that I knew was behind it. I climbed in after Harry, careful not to trip. What a sight that would be. The new professor tripping on her way into the common room. If I was to be successful in my job here, I had to make every effort to show that I could handle the responsibility, and, somehow, I didn't think that tripping, even if I was blind, would show that. In fact, I was _sure_ that if I tripped, Umbridge would just use that to justify her statement that I could not protect myself, let alone students.

I had to be careful. To some people, this may have seemed daunting, having to be careful about all my actions and words, but for me, it only doubled my determination; I _would_ prove that I was useful, even if I was blind.

As we entered the Gryffindor common room, I was greeted by the distinct smell of a fire, crackling in the fireplace. I heard hushed, excited whispers, people saying how wonderful it was to see each other again, discussing their holidays, and making plans for Hogsmeade visits. I smiled, reminiscing about my time at Hogwarts with Charlie...hmmm...perhaps I could convince him to visit me here on one of the scheduled Hogsmeade trips. After all, I was a teacher now and as such, could probably afford to at least try to get away with something of that nature. I made a mental note to ask Dumbledore about it later, possibly after a week or so of working, assuming that he was satisfied with the job that I was doing.

"Katrina!" Hermione's voice suddenly appeared near me. I had to fight the urge to jump. I hadn't heard her approach, as I was lost in thought, and she had startled me.

"Oh! Hello, Hermione. I wasn't expecting you to pop up like that. Are you all settled in yet?" I was trying to act nonchalant, to play off my nerves, and ignore the shiver that went down my spine at the thought that someone _had_been able to catch me off guard.

"Yes, everything's fine. I've unpacked and gotten my things sorted already. I came to see if you wanted to go up to the dormitory with me. There's a separate room that has your name above it, _Professor Westing_," I heard the smile in her voice, and I couldn't help the grin that spread across my lips. It was official; I was a professor at Hogwarts. Though I had never even considered the possibility before, I couldn't help the feeling of elation that I had at being called _Professor._

"That's very considerate of you, Hermione. I'd love that. Let me just get my things," I replied, smiling at her.

Taking my wand out of the pocket of my robes, I reached out my arm, "_Accio_ _bags_," as I held out my hand, into which my baggage flew. I grabbed it, groaning a bit at their weight. I should have listened to Mrs. Weasley when she said that I wouldn't need nearly as much stuff as I was bringing. Most of my clothes didn't even really fit me anymore, what with the weight I had lost during my self-inflicted seclusion, but I could always alter them magically. After all, I was of age.

"I can take one of those for you, if you'd like," Hermione offered.

"I'd actually really appreciate it. I've always been one to over-pack. Careful, they're a bit heavy," I chuckled.

"Oh, it's no problem. I don't mind at all,"

"I still appreciate it anyway," I smiled at her. "Now let's go get these things put away before bed. We've had a long journey here and I don't know about you, but I'm about ready to go to sleep."

She laughed happily, "I was planning on doing the same thing once I got my things sorted."

We walked up the winding staircase to the dormitories together, her warning me if there was anything in the way that I might be prone to trip or stumble over. I was happy to say that I made it up fine without any incidents. Good, I thought to myself, that's one less thing to worry about.

I heard excited whispers coming from the beds in the Girl's Dormitory as I entered. I smiled, thinking about my time here when I was a student. I remembered the excitement I had felt on the first night back at school; it was wonderful to see friends again after a long summer holiday.

"Oh, Kat-I mean Professor Westing, your room is right at the end of the hall," Hermione said, "I'll come set this down for you and then leave you to unpack."

"I can take it, it's no problem," I replied, holding out my hand for her to place the bag in.

After walking into my room, bags in tow, I took a minute to walk around, keeping one hand trailing along the wall, and the other searching for objects or furniture. Thankfully, all the furniture was up against the wall, except for the bed, which was facing the door. This was good; it meant that I would be able to move around without having to worry about running into something, or knocking over some priceless artifact.

During my exploration, I had discovered that there was a fireplace in my room. I smiled; I would be able to easily relay information to the Order...and talk to Charlie, wherever he may be...through the floo network. However, I knew that I would have to be careful about what I shared. I didn't know exactly how much power Umbridge had, but I was sure that she would try and use it, possibly even to watch the fireplaces. If that happened, I would have to be careful about how I shared any information that I garnered during my stay here, but that was an issue that I would face when I crossed it. For now, I would start to unpack.

Just as I opened my bag, I heard a commotion coming from the boy's dormitory. I flew out of the room and down the stairway, praying that I wouldn't trip, which thankfully I didn't. Once I was downstairs, I was floored by what was going on.

Seamus' distinct voice rang out in the silence, "Look... what _did_ happen that night when... you know, when...with Cedric Diggory and all?"

My heart went out to Harry. He had spoken to me about this earlier in the summer, as I had explained how I lost my sight. What he had witnessed had really scarred him, and for him to have to constantly relive it, to be called a liar and fraud...I couldn't even fathom what he was feeling right now.

I ran up the stairs to the boy's dormitories, as I heard the argument continue, growing more and more heated.

Harry snapped at him, "What are you asking me for," he retorted, "Just read the _Daily Prophet_ like your mother, why don't you. That'll tell you all you need to know."

"Don't you have a go at my mother!" Seamus exclaimed.

"I'll have a go at anyone who calls me a liar," said Harry.

"Don't talk to me like that!"

I stood there, still in shock, trying to figure out when to intervene. "Alright...stop it. That's enough," I tried saying. I was, of course, completely ignored.

"I'll talk to you how I want," said Harry, "If you've got a problem sharing a dormitory with me, go and ask McGonagall if you can be moved, stop your mummy worrying..."

I knew Harry was trying to push Seamus' buttons now, with the jab at his mother. However, I couldn't exactly bring myself to feel sorry for Seamus, as he was being quite a prick, and I was sure that if I were in Harry's position, I would probably act the same way.

"Leave my mother out of this, Potter!"

"What's going on?" Ron's exhausted voice interrupted the feud.

"He's having a go at my mother!" Seamus yelled.

"What?" Ron asked, bewildered, "Harry wouldn't do that- we met your mother, we liked her..."

"That's before she started believing every word the stinking _Daily Prophet_writes about me!" said Harry, as loud as he possibly could.

"Oh," Ron said, finally realizing exactly what was happening. I would have laughed, as it always took him an absurdly long time to realize things, but I couldn't bring myself to do that just now.

"You know what?" said Seamus heatedly, venom clear in his words, "he's right. I don't want to share a dormitory with him anymore, he's a madman."

Those were the words that really drove me over the edge. "THAT'S ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU-STOP IT!" I roared.

The entire dormitory fell silent. "Seamus, you will apologize to Harry for the insults you've paid him, and for calling him a madman. You're entitled to your own opinions but that does not mean that you should share them-"

"Oh, of course, she sticks up for Potter. Stupid bloody woman...who does she think she is, running around like she suddenly owns the place," Seamus muttered softly enough so that I would normally not have been able to hear, but with my enhanced senses, I heard him perfectly.

"Excuse me, Mr. Finnegan, would you care to repeat that? Something me being a 'bloody woman who runs around thinking she owns the place,' hmm."

I didn't have to see his face to know that he stood there, shocked to the core.

"I-I-That's...that's not what I said," he stammered.

"Oh, yes, it is, though. I _distinctly_ heard you. Don't lie; you can at least own up to your own actions. And as I was saying before I was _so rudely interrupted_," I said, making my voice as icy as possible, "I was going to ask Mr. Potter to apologize to you as well. I trust you two can handle that by yourselves."

"Bitch," I heard Seamus mutter.

"Really, now, Mr. Finnegan, I thought you would have learned the first time. I can _hear_ you even when you mutter. Detention tomorrow night. Meet me in the Great Hall after dinner and we'll sort out your punishment," I narrowed my eyes at him, making my tone firm. "I _am_a Professor and as such, I expect to be treated with respect. I am part of Gryffindor house. Save the animosity for the Slytherins."

"Professor?" Seamus asked tentatively. Perhaps I was a bit too harsh with him.

"Yes?" I turned to him.

"I-I am sorry."

"I accept your apology. However, you will still serve a detention with me tomorrow night," I said. As much as I appreciated his apology, I couldn't afford to be soft on him- or anyone, for that matter- right now. I was just starting off as a teacher and, as such, needed to prove that I was not someone that could be walked all over. No, I needed to hold my own and show that I could defend myself, as well as dole out the necessary discipline, or else no one would take me seriously, and that was something that I could not afford to have happen.

Before walking out, I pulled Harry aside. "Harry...I know you were upset, and he was out of line, I'm not denying that, but you _have_to be careful about offending people. If this happens again, I may not be able to step in without making it seem like I'm showing unfair preferences towards students."

"Sorry, I didn't even think about it that way," Harry said, sounding remorseful.

"Don't worry about it. It turned out fine tonight. I was only trying to ask you a favor. It would really help me out," I said, now feeling a bit bad for making Harry feel guilty. I was never good at dealing with knowing that I had upset someone, but I supposed that I would have to get used to it, if I was to be facing more situations like the one tonight. I had forgotten just how much drama could be created by students.

"I'll keep it in mind," said Harry.

"Thanks. I appreciate it," I said, yawning, the weariness finally settling over me. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to bed."

I waved slightly at him and headed back into my room. I put a few clothes away in a dresser, and after changing into my pajamas, I curled up under the warm, fluffy covers of my new bed. Within a few minutes, I felt my consciousness slowly slipping away as the warm grasp of sleep wound its way into my mind, lulling me into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	11. Chapter 10

True Love is Blind Chapter 10

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Sorry guys! I know it's been forever since I've updated! I've been so busy lately; there's been so much going on. I've had insane amounts of homework each night plus swimming has started and I've got to make each practice as well as dryland sessions...so, yeah, it's been a crazy few weeks. I'm honestly sorry for not having updated in a long time, and I hope that I'll be able to update sooner than I have been lately. Then this weekend I went and visited four colleges (Middlebury, Hamilton, Colgate, and University of Vermont)...and being me, I fell in love with all of them and am no closer to knowing where I want to go than when I left on Wednesday night. Oh well, I still have some time before making a decision.<strong>

**Anyway, here's the newest chapter. Enjoy!**

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><p>Chapter 10<p>

I woke up the next morning to the sound of the girls chattering in the dorm just outside my door. I yawned, stretching my arms and legs, before jumping lightly out of bed. I had, thankfully, had Mrs. Weasley's help with organizing my trunk, putting robes, shirts, pants, ties, and socks and shoes in different piles. This way, I would only have to pick one item from each pile and not have to worry about finding each separate item in a mess of clothes.

Before leaving, Mrs. Weasley had, of course, insisted on taking me to Diagon Alley to shop for new clothes, including some dressier clothes that were not part of Hogwarts uniform that I could wear "out" or for "special occasions," which was clearly her way of saying that I could wear them on dates with Charlie. My personal favorite outfit that I had bought included a pair of dark rinse skinny jeans, bright red peep-toe heels (which I was _convinced _that I would kill myself in), a light creme colored flowy lace tank top, and a grey blazer on top, matched with a chunky long necklace. According to Mrs. Weasley, Charlie would be drooling over me when he saw it. That statement disturbed me a little; I didn't know what she thought of my erm...status of virginity, but the fact that she was hinting at that made me think that she thought that I was _much_ more experienced than I actually was.

Anyway, those clothes were kept in a smaller duffel bag under my bed. Maybe I would take them out on a Hogsmeade visit, but that was debatable.

I slipped quietly into the bathroom that was attached to my bedroom, which I had discovered late last night when I woke up in the middle of the evening, needing to pee quite badly. I quickly washed my face, deciding that my hair could wait another day to be washed, and dried off with a small towel. I did not bother with any make-up, as I would probably only mess it up anyway, not being able to see what I was doing. After pulling on my clothes, followed by my robes and little black kitten heels, I walked out of my room, and down to the Great Hall to breakfast.

McGonagall was waiting for me, taking me and leading me to the teachers' table, inviting me to sit next to her. I smiled politely and sat down, picking up my utensils and biting into my breakfast. The eggs were wonderful, cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of cheese and vegetables, and the toast was crispy and buttery-just the way I liked it. It was undoubtedly easier for me to eat here, as I was not responsible for cooking for myself. I would get my fair share of exercise as well, though, considering that I would be working as a Care of Magical Creatures teaching assistant. That position would definitely be taxing, but worth it.

As I was about to walk out of the Great Hall, having finished my breakfast, to walk down to Hagrid's cottage to ready myself for today's classes, Hermione caught up with me.

"Could I speak to you please, Professor Westing?" she asked.

"Of course, Hermione. Is there a problem," I queried, detecting a slight edge in her voice.

"Well, it's just... here, it would be easier if I could read this to you," she said, taking my arm and leading me towards the common room.

"What are you on about? Hermione-?"

"It's something the twins have posted. Here, I'll read it to you. It says: **GALLONS OF GALLEONS! Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings? Like to earn a little extra gold? COntact Fred and George Weasley. Gryffindor common room, for simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs. (we regret that all work is undertaken at applicant's own risk). **_That_ is the problem," Hermione grumbled.

"Oh...OH! They're..._hiring_ people to test their products. Of course, no judgement, as usual. I can talk to them, if you'd like. I'd reckon that they're at least more likely to listen to me than they are to you," I said, realizing that I could probably have phrased the last bit more kindly. "I don't mean that you can't handle it or that students won't listen to you as a prefect, but I just think that with Fred and George, seeing as we're rather close, they'd be a bit more likely to uhh... 'submit to my authority as an authority figure,'" I laughed, remembering the words they had used to describe my new position.

"I really appreciate it, and don't worry, I knew what you meant by saying that. That's mainly why I came to you in the first place; I knew that they'd be more likely to listen to you than me, their little brother's friend,"

"You're totally welcome. You can feel free to come to me any time that you have trouble with those two, which I'm sure will be fairly often, knowing them, the rascals," I laughed ruefully. "I'd best be getting to work, but I'll be sure to find them and have a word with them later."

"Alright. Thank you again, Katrina," she said, using my first name, as I had asked her to do when we were alone. I was very uncomfortable having friends call me 'Professor'. It just felt awkward, like it was creating a rift between us.

I walked to the old hut that Hagrid used to occupy, taking my time, as I still had a while before classes started.

As I reached the small cabin, Professor Grubbly-Plank walked up to me.

"Good morning, Katrina," she said.

"Good morning, Professor," I said, not quite sure how to address her.

She laughed a bit, reaching out her hand to shake mine, "We're going to be working together, you might as well call me by my first name; Wilhelmina."

I was a bit taken aback at this, and it must have shown on my face, because she went on, "I know that I wasn't the most...civil...person to you while you were a student here, but I've come to realize that I had been wrong about you. I assumed that you would be just like your parents, rather than getting to know you, but Albus has explained everything to me, and I've come to realize that I was wrong about you, and for that, I apologize."

I took her hand, shaking it, "That's alright. I'm used to having assumptions made based on my family. You don't have to apologize, as long as there's no hard feelings now," I smiled.

"None at all," she smiled back at me.

In all honesty, I did not blame her for the judgements she made, even if they were wrong. I had become hated it when I was younger, taking it personally. Now, though, I saw it as a challenge; I aimed to prove people wrong; to make them ashamed for their false accusations and judgements. At least Wilhelmina had had the courage to admit that she had been wrong and apologize to me. I respected her for that.

"Great. Now, I was wondering if we could discuss lesson plans for today. I'm afraid that I'm not quite sure what my role here will be," I said, a bit nervously.

"Of course. I was just about to suggest the same thing. Now, I assume that Albus informed you that you'd be working as an assistant," she started.

"Yes. I know that much," I replied.

"Well essentially, that entails that you would be willing to work with the animals, fill in any details that I've missed, and offer help to students who need it. Essentially, be there to help me and mainly be there to teach some lessons if I am not available,"

"I think that's very manageable," I responded, smiling.

"Good. Now today, we'll just be going over basic safety and how to act around the animals, as well as an overview of the course. Now for the younger students, we'll be focusing primarially on introducing them to types of magical creatures, with minimal interactions between the students and animals. However, with the older students, we'll be taking a more hands-on approach, letting them care for the creatures themselves, with our help, of course,"

"That's what I assumed. I think that's a great approach, if I may be as bold as to say that," I smiled.

"Of course. It's a good method; this way students don't go into caring for them blind. They'll build on their knowledge through the years," Wilhelmina stated.

"Alright. So first and second periods we have third years?" Third-years were the youngest students allowed to take the course, as it was believed that they would be mature enough to be able to handle themselves and any accidents that may happen around magical creatures. From my own experience, I knew that it was a rare class when nothing happened. Thankfully, however, most occurrences were minor and could be handled easily.

"Yes. I'll teach this first one so you can get an idea of what is going on then you can teach the second, if you feel comfortable with that, that is," I liked how she gave me an opportunity to learn, before throwing me headfirst into teaching.

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you," I said, really appreciating it.

"You're welcome."

"Welcome to Care of Magical Creatures. My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank, and this is Professor Westing. Today, we will be instructing you in basic safety and the general care of magical creatures," Wilhelmina said to the gathered third-years.

"When are we gonna be working with actual animals?" one student asked loudly.

"Once Professor Grubbly-Plank and I are convinced that you'll be able to safely handle the creatures without risk of a serious injury, then, and _only_ _then_, will you be able to work with the creatures we have for you this year," I replied sternly.

"As Professor Westing mentioned, this could be a very dangerous class if you don't know how to correctly handle the animals. As your teachers, we need to assure that you will be able to remain safe. Now, this year, you'll be learning about bowtruckles and unicorns," the gathered girls squealed at this news, "but that may not be for another month, at least."

I felt a little awkward, not really knowing what else to do, but I did as Wilhelmina suggested, and watched her teach the first lesson before jumping in. I did, however, jump in and add a few details and suggestions during the first lesson.

The second lesson, I essentially tried to teach what she had taught earlier, but in my own fashion, not wanting to just parrot everything that she had said. I wanted to show her that I could be a successful and intelligent teacher.

After the lesson, Wilhelmina took me into Hagrid's old cabin, offering me a cup of tea, which I gladly accepted. I inhaled the warm steam, smelling cranberries with a hint of apple. I smiled, savoring the smell. I had always loved tea, and this particular flavor made me think of a cool September afternoon many years ago when I had visited the Weasley family before school started up again. We had all gone apple picking in a small local orchard, and Charlie, the twins, and I had run around, climbing trees and laughing all the while.

"Katrina, I have to say, I was so surprised at your teaching skills. You managed to keep the students interested, but it was still getting the information across. You really have a gift connecting to them," she said genuinely as she placed a plate of various assorted cookies and sandwiches in front of us.

"Thank you. I never really thought about becoming a teacher; it just wasn't something I could see myself doing, but now I think I've realized how much I like it," I replied, the truth behind the statement finally sinking in. I guess I had been so adamant on leaving and starting my own life as a journalist that I had never even considered other options. But now that I was here, teaching at my old school, finally able to be involved with magical creatures, I was ecstatic.

I understood why Charlie worried about me working with magical creatures, but hopefully if this was successful, he might not be opposed to me coming to work in Romania...if our relationship progressed that far, or even the possibility of me finding a different reserve where I could work. As long as I was around animals, I could not complain.

It was now noon and I was on my way to the Great Hall for lunch. As I entered the castle from the pathway, I heard two distinct voices coming down the stairs.

"Ehm, Mr. Weasley and...erm... Mr. Weasley, might I have a word with you two before lunch?" I asked, motioning to the corridor outside the Great Hall.

"Of course Katr-" Fred started.

"Professor Westing," George cut him off abruptly, correcting him.

"Oh...right. Well, what exactly is it that you need, then?" Fred asked.

"Right, well, someone informed me that you've put up a sign advertising jobs for students that would involve testing your experimental products for your joke shop," I said.

"We have,"

"That's very risky. If you were caught, especially by the _wrong person_," I said, hoping they understood who I was talking about, "the consequences could be disastrous. If parents caught wind of this, they'd surely be upset, and with good reason. I trust you and your abilities, but if anything went wrong...things could take a very bad turn. I don't want to preach at you, but as a friend, I really think you should consider taking more care in these things, especially given the current circumstances at Hogwarts."

"We've only put them up in the Gryffindor common room," Fred replied.

"Normally, I'd reckon you'd be fine doing that, but there's something odd going on here and I wouldn't even risk that. I won't tell you what to do, but I think it would be _very_ beneficial if you considered taking down those signs," I honestly did not want them getting in trouble. They were my best friends, besides Charlie, and I would hate it if something happened to them because of this. I hoped they would listen to my advice.

"We'll think about it. If anything happens, we'll take full responsibility. We don't plan on being here the full year anyway..." George trailed off.

Before I could ask him what he meant, Fred interjected "Katrina, sound like you're punishing us. Umbridge is coming this way."

I made a note to thank him later. This was one conversation I definitely did not want her to overhear. "Now if you _ever_ try to do something like that again, you'll be in detention faster than you can say 'Professor.'"

"Is there a problem here?" Umbridge asked, clearing her throat as she approached us.

"Not at all. I was just telling these two that if they ever tried to jinx a student's chair again they'd have detention. I stopped them before any harm was done," I replied, hoping that my excuse would seem legitimate.

Thankfully, she seemed to buy it, "Hmm. Good work, _Professor _Westing," she said. Though it sounded complimentary, there was a hidden note of malice in her words.

"Now, off to lunch, both of you," I said, trying to get the boys out of the area as soon as possible. "Come on. Good afternoon, Dolores."

I walked away swiftly, and as we rounded the corner, hearing the clamor of voices coming from the Great Hall, I felt a sense of relief.

I walked in, taking my seat next to McGonagall, greeting her and the other professors around me. I ate in silence, thinking about the detention I would have to administer later today. I could always make him write lines, but that would be pointless, and I absolutely detested busy-work. I could not have him read me the letters I had received this morning, as there could be important information contained in them that would be disastrous in the wrong hands. I did not exactly want to have him do his homework, though. This was a punishment and allowing him to do homework would be too similar to a study-hall. I supposed I could always have him copy records that Hagrid had left out in his cabin. At the moment, that seemed like the most viable choice, so I decided to bring those with me after the afternoon lessons. Perhaps I'd have Hermione or George read me the letters I had received earlier during the free-period before supper.

The rest of the afternoon passed relative quickly, and with Wilhelmina now letting me teach, I believed that I was perhaps finally finding my place. Teaching the older students was definitely bound to be more exciting, as they already had a basic knowledge and would be learning more complex and in-depth methods. Thankfully, the Slytherins that were taking the course were relatively calm today. Whether that was temporary or not, I wasn't quite sure. Though I tried to be optimistic about teaching them, I knew that with any student, but especially with Slytherins, there were bound to be some problems.

"You're free to go back up to the castle if you'd like," Wilhelmina said after the last student had left.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't mind staying a bit longer if you need help with lesson plans or anything else," I replied, smiling at her as I picked up a book that had been left behind.

"No, that's quite alright. We'll be going over the basics some more with the younger students for a while, and as for the older students, we'll have them do some reviews of what they learned last year to ensure that they don't do anything...stupid,"

"Alright. In that cast, I'll be in the castle, most likely in my room, if you need anything," I smiled.

Picking up my bag and hefting it onto my shoulder, I walked up the path that led back to the castle. It could not help the feeling of peace and serenity that came over me as I felt the cool fall breeze blow through my hair, gently rustling the leaves of the trees. For a moment, I honestly wished that I had not lost my sight. As a young child, I remember loving watching the school grounds transform as fall turned to winter. I loved the deep crimson reds, the bright yellows, the firey orange hues that gently fell from the trees, covering the ground in a multi-colored carpet. I wished that I could see that again, even for a moment.

Thinking about it, there were so many things that I wished I could see again and knowing that I never would left me feeling desolate. Though it had become easier to cope with my condition lately, I still was not "okay" with it; I would probably never be "okay" with it, but I would bear the burden nonetheless. After all, it was not like I would be able to alter the past.

I sighed, entering my room, letting my heavy bag fall from my shoulder and onto the floor, producing a soft _thump_. I pulled out the letters I had received this morning and opened the first one. I flinched in shock as I heard Charlie's Voice fill my mind, just as Dumbledore's had when I opened his letter.

_My Dear Kat,_

_Needless to say, I miss you. The time we spent together wasn't nearly enough. I wish I could find a way to see you, but I don't think that would be the best idea right now. Things are getting more tense in Romania; the reserve is still relatively normal, but things have changed. Something is going on, but I don't know what exactly. I know you're probably worrying about me, but you have no reason to. I can take care of myself. If anything, the thought of seeing you soon is motivating me to be extra-safe. _

_I hope everything is going well at Hogwarts. I have to ask-is it weird to be teaching there? I can't imagine being back there after graduating. Are my brothers giving you trouble? If they will, just say so and I'll have a word with them. I've said this before, and please try not to be too angry with me, but please make be as careful as possible around the animals. I know that you're responsible and capable, but I that doesn't mean that I can't care about your safety. _

_I think you're right about that Umbridge woman. From what you've said, something seems off about her. I'm sure you're already doing this, but be careful around her. I've asked Dad if he knows anything about her, and he said he'll try to gather some information on her. I don't know how much he'll find out, but I thought it might be useful to at least ask. If anything else happens, write to me...well, feel free to write to me if nothing's happened. I like reading your letters. It makes me feel closer to you. _

_I miss you and can't wait to see you again._

_Love, _

_Charlie_

I grinned. I was so glad to hear from him. I felt myself become overwhelmed by a feeling of euphoric happiness. Even though I could not be with him, this letter had reassured me. I felt so much better having heard from him.

Taking out a quill and some parchment, I began to pen a letter to Charlie.

_Dearest Charlie,_

_I miss you too. I wish we had been able to spend more time together before leaving, but life is crazy sometimes. I so long to see you but I agree with you; I do not know how wise that would be. Umbridge is already questioning my ability as a teacher and I can't afford to make any mistakes. She claims that I am a "hazard to myself and to students," but I think that she has other reasons. I may be reading into this too much, but I cannot help but feel like she's going to try to have me fired. I'm not the only teacher who seems to be facing her judgement. Almost half the staff seems to be "inadequate," according to her._

_Aside from what I've mentioned, things are going well. I taught three lessons today. That may come as a surprise to you, and it definitely did surprise me. I can't remember if I've mentioned this or not, but Hagrid isn't here; he's apparently out on some kind of mission for Dumbledore. Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank has taken his place. You're probably grimacing right now, thinking about how she hated me, but not to worry, it's all be sorted. We talked and now have an understanding of one-another. She was the one who encouraged me to teach today, and, in all honestly, I am actually enjoying it. I don't necessarially want to teach again after all this is over, but I would like to do something involving magical creatures. I figure that if I'm working, I may as well be doing something I enjoy._

_Your brothers are behaving themselves...well, rather behaving as much as Fred and George "behave." Ron's doing well too. He makes a good prefect. There's nothing much to report, but I suppose, given the circumstances, no news is good news._

_I promise you that I will make every effort to be careful. After all, now I have someone to inspire me to be careful (yes, that's you, Charlie). We aren't handling many dangerous creatures this year (we're following a "Ministry approved" curriculum), so you can rest assured that I won't be out wrestling any dragons; I'll leave that particular task to you, love. _

_By the way, how did you manage to have me hear your voice reading the letter? I haven't had that happen except with Dumbledore's letter._

_I'll write again soon. And hopefully, I'll be seeing you at Christmas holiday. I would say sooner, but I don't know how likely that is. _

_Love always,_

_Kat_

Putting the letter in an envelope, addressing it, and sealing it, I put it in my bag and made a mental note to go to the owlry later to mail the letter tonight.

I opened the next letter, wondering whether I would be able to hear the sender's voice in my head as well. I could not. That meant that there was probably some kind of magic involved and, not knowing the spell that would allow for this, I wondered how it was done. It was undoubtedly a useful method. This allowed me to be able to "read" my own letters, instead of potentially risking having someone see or overhear some key confidential information. I knew that in the wrong hands, some of the information that would be relayed between the Order and I could be catastrophic. If Charlie told me the spell, I could recommend that my correspondents use it. It would certainly make life easier.

Putting the two unread letters at the top of my bag, I was about to grab a book on introduction to braille when I remembered a spell that would turn text into words. I could potentially use this to read the letters, but this spell "read" things out loud, which meant that it could easily be overheard. However, it would be very useful to study some books about more advanced care of magical creatures. I could do that tonight while I administered the detention. That way, I would be doing something productive instead of sitting there twiddling my thumbs.

Satisfied with my plan, I walked out of the room to find Hermione.

"Hermione," I called.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Might I have a word with you?"

"Of course. We can go down to the common room if you'd like," she offered.

"Actually, I'd prefer it if we could stay here. Would you mind reading two letters to me? I don't mean to be a burden but I can't read them, and I trust you to keep this between us," I said.

"Oh, yes, of course. We can talk right here then. You can come sit on my bed if you'd like," she led me to her bed and I pulled out the two letters before sitting down.

"By the way, I've been meaning to tell you... I spoke to Fred and George earlier. They said they'd definitely consider my advice," I stated.

"How did you manage that?" she queried, shocked.

"I made it seem like they were taking too big a risk and they could harm themselves. That seemed to work better than anything else would have. Then again, it probably helps that they're two of my best friends," I smiled.

"That was a smart idea. I suppose I could try that if it happens again," Hermione laughed.

She then started reading me the letters. The first was from Mrs. Weasley, asking me how things were going. The second was from Sirius, and I was sure that Harry had gotten a similar letter as well. Of course, we could not say Sirius' name out loud, so instead, we referred to him as 'Padfoot' which had become the universal name used to discuss him in public.

"We'd best be going down to dinner," Hermione said.

"Let's go, then," I grinned, putting the letters back in my bag, which I picked up as I walked towards the door that lead to the common rooms.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: I'm SO sorry for not having uploaded in forever! Everything has been so so crazy lately. I've been swamped with schoolwork, projects, work, and swimming. I've literally woken up at 6 every morning, gotten ready for a 7-hour school day then come home and done another 7 hours of homework, broken up by swimming, then gone to sleep so I've had almost no time to upload, but I do try to write mor of this whenever I get the chance. Yesterday was awesome, though. I got to train with not one, but _two_ Olympic gold-medalists (Josh Davis and Peter Vanderkaay) which kind of made my life complete. It was honestly the greatest experience ever; I even got to race against Josh and ended up tieing :D**

**Anyway, just wanted to give you a little update, and I figured that since you guys are so awesome, I'd upload TWO chapters today. **

**Lots of love 3**

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><p>True Love is Blind Chapter 11<p>

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

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><p>Chapter 11<p>

Hogwarts had been in session for almost two months now. It was nearing the end of October. The leaves on the trees had, from what Fred and George had described, turned brilliant hues of yellow, red, and orange. Most of them had fallen by now, and they crunched under my shoes as I walked across the pathways connecting different places on the grounds. I had recently taken to wearing a thicker cloak to class, as the cold autumn air left me shivering, making my cheeks turn a bright shade of pink. I did not particularly mind that, though; I loved the feeling of the cool wind tousling my hair, occasionally blowing it across my face so that I would have to brush it back, tucking it behind my ears.

During my time here, I had gradually grown accustomed to the feeling of students staring at me. I could only imagine what the scars on my face looked like, but, in all honestly, I found myself caring less and less what they thought of my appearance. I had voiced my anxiety and self-consciousness to Charlie on numerous occasions, and he, finally letting down his "tough" and "manly" attitude, insisted that I was beautiful, even _with_ the scars. I knew that he had scars as well, but I could not care any less about that. I loved Charlie for who he was, as opposed to liking him for what he looked like, not that I could see what he looked like anyway, but the concept still applied.

It was nearing Halloween and the first Hogsmeade visit was scheduled for this weekend. It was Friday night, and we would be taking the students into the village tomorrow. The students were, of course, ecstatic. I remember being so excited to have a day of freedom; a day to wander around town, going from shop to shop, and just enjoying a day outside the grounds of school. I remembered walking around with Charlie, enjoying butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks, and having a snowball fight in the middle of December. I smiled inwardly, thinking of all the wonderful experiences I had had with Charlie.

During the past month, I had been careful, making sure to give regular reports to the Order at least once a week. It was frustrating, though, witnessing the injustices going on and not being able to do anything about it. Umbridge had, unfortunately, been using any means necessary to implement the "Ministry approved" curriculum. The poor students were learning absolutely _nothing._ Even the fifth-years, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, had complained, were starting from "the basics." They were not even practicing spells, as Umbridge claimed that they would not need them, as they would never be attacked. _Bloody idiot_, I thought. She had _no idea_ how many times I had used defensive spells in my life. These students needed to be taught these skills, especially since Vold- rather, You-Know-Who, was no back from the dead.

And then, I had heard, and witnessed first-hand the effects of her so-called "detentions." I had given a few detentions in my time here, but I had usually had the student, or students, re-write old, decaying texts from Hargid's hut or the library. Dolores Umbridge, on the other hand, took things to a whole new level. Most students would claim detentions were "cruel and unfair," but in Dolores' case, this was actually true. I was horrified to find out that she had used a cursed pen, one that used the student's blood to write the cruel lines until the message "sunk in." I shuddered thinking about it. Of course, I had let the Order know about this immediately, much to the protestations of Harry, but they needed to know what was going on. I had to do my job, even if that meant having Harry being a bit upset with me.

Mrs. Weasley had written back almost immediately, saying she was outraged. She had, apparently, told the other members of the Order, who were equally upset. What was most frustrating, though, was the fact that we could not do anything about it. Going against Umbridge would be, essentially, going against the entire Ministry. I knew she had more power than she let on, and would not hesitate to use it. It would be a dangerous to do anything that would show that I did not support her.

I had written to Charlie, letting him know what was going on, but he had not replied. I was nervous; I had not heard from him in almost two weeks and I was panicked. My mind kept racing over things that could have happened; what if some Death Eaters had found him? What if something terrible had happened to him?

_No, stop it. You can't keep thinking like this. He's probably just been busy_, I chided myself, _but what if he hasn't written because he didn't want to talk to me. What if he's realized that he does not want to be with me_.

Worries flooded my head, but I could not bring myself to believe them. Remembering our conversation in the hold room at Grimmauld Place, I could not believe that he would just leave me with no explanation. He would not cut off communication without a valid cause. I just hoped he was alright.

Charlie had, however, taught the spell, the one that allowed me to hear his voice in my head when reading letters, to every member of the order so that I no longer had to depend on others to read them to me. This was probably for the best, considering that anyone could hear what was being read aloud to me. This gave me the freedom to read, rather, listen to, the letters on my own time, instead of having to wait until Fred, George, Hermione, Ron, or Harry had time.

Pushing those thoughts out of my mind for now, I decided to focus my attention on choosing an outfit for tomorrow. Molly had helped me pack outfits in groups, putting clothing that would go together in a pile. This made it significantly easier for me to decide what to wear. Upon Umbridge's instance, we teachers had been given the option of wearing "normal" clothes to Hogsmeade. I suppose that stemmed from her disdain for the dark colors of the robes. She seemed to prefer pink, from what I had heard, wearing pencil skirts and blazers, both bright pinks, and lots of frills.

Rummaging through my trunk, I found an outfit that Mrs. Weasley had said would look "stunning" on me. She had mentioned that she was putting it towards the top, describing it to me so that I would know what materials to feel for. It was a pair of dark-wash jeans, a white lace tank-top that was flowy, but still showed my shape, a brown blazer, a simple gold necklace, and a pair of heels, which I believed that Mrs. Weasley had said were red. I was excited, in all honestly. I had lost so much weight that I could now wear clothes that I would never have even considered before this year.

I knew that I had no one to impress by wearing nice clothes, but that did not matter to me. I just wanted to feel pretty, for once. It was hard to feel pretty working as a Professor, especially when I was teaching Care of Magical Creatures. I had little time to put effort into my outfits, which were really simple, consisting of robes and a cloak when the weather became colder. It was simple and plain, but most of the time I did not mind. I don't know what came over me, but I just suddenly had the urge to dress nicely, at least for a day, as if to prove to Umbridge that I was not a complete failure, which I am sure she believed I was.

Having spoken to Dumbledore, I found that I could also modify the spell he had told

Charlie about so that I could hear essays and books in my mind. This made my life a lot easier, and I certainly felt better about being able to help Wilhelmina with grading papers. Though I was certain that there was a spell that would grade papers for me, I preferred to have a part in grading it so that if a student asked why points were deducted, I would be able to give them a real explanation, as opposed to just telling them that their answer was wrong. Either way, it was good to feel that I was accomplishing work here.

Muttering the spell, I sat down at my desk, taking out a stack of papers from my bag. I had about twenty essays on the proper way to handle a bowtruckle that needed to be graded for Monday's classes. I could have left them for Sunday night, but I preferred to have them out of the way now.

"_The bowtruckle, perhaps one of the most well-known magical creatures..._" I sighed, trying to focus on the words that now filled my head, paying attention to accuracy, depth of detail, and grammar. This would most definitely take up the rest of my night.

After grading the first one, which was not all that terrible, actually, I realized, with a start, that I had promised to talk to Hermione about something that was, according to her, desperately important.

Sticking my head out of my room, I called out into the girls' dormitory, "Hermione? Are you there?"

"Yes, Professor," her voice came from over near the windows.

"I can meet with you now, if you'd like," I said.

"Oh, yes. That's fine," she replied hurridly.

I opened my door wider, gesturing for her to come in. Once I heard her feet inside the room, I shut the door, casting the _muffliato_ charm, assuming that she would not want what we were discussing to be overheard.

"So, Hermione, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" I asked, going over to my bed, plopping down on the side of it, getting comfortable, "Oh, and feel free to make yourself comfortable."

"Thanks," she came and sat next to me. "Well, clearly you've heard what Umbridge is teaching us...or rather, _not_ teaching us..."

"Ugh, honestly, I know it's not my place to say anything, but it's absurd. How can she justify that? It makes no sense," I scowled.

"That's exactly how we, that is Ron, Harry, and I, feel,"

"Knowing you, Hermione, you didn't just come here to complain, surely," I sent her a knowing glance.

Hermione chuckled lightly, "You're right. I...Ron and I...we want Harry to lead a Defense Against the Dark Arts club, of sorts."

I was silent for a few moments, letting the idea sink in. Thinking about it, it seemed brilliant. This way, students who had the motivation could learn how to _really_ defend themselves. And of course, Harry would be the perfect teacher. I grinned at her. "That's absolutely brilliant."

"And well, we were wondering if you'd, well...you know, be willing to teach a few more advanced spells. I know that in your work as an investigative reporter, you've found yourself in a few bad situations, and I figured that you've got to have more experience," she started, almost shyly.

"I'd be _honored_, but this is dangerous. You must know that. With Umbridge in charge like she is, this is risky at best. She has ways of knowing what goes on around Hogwarts. This needs to be concealed carefully. We need a way to make sure that the members keep quiet about this. Do you have any members yet," I queried, realizing that I was getting ahead of myself.

"Besides Ron and I, no. And before you ask, Harry doesn't quite know either," she trailed off hesitantly.

"What do you mean he 'doesn't quite know'?" I hoped that she would not just spring this responsibility on him. He had enough to worry about already, poor guy.

"Well, Ron and I are planning on telling him tomorrow before the meeting with people who are interested," she said.

I supposed that I could not argue with that. I did not want to seem like I was trying to take control from her and Ron, but at the same time, I was worried about how well this would work out.

"Where are you planning on meeting?" I asked.

"The Hog's Head in Hogsmeade," she said.

I had to think about that for a few minutes. Yes, it was definitely off the beaten-path, and students rarely set foot there, but at the same time, it would be quiet, easy to overhear anything. Then again, if they were in a crowded place, it would still be easy to overhear anything. "I suppose that's the best option, given the choices."

"I was debating between that and the Three Broomsticks, but I thought the Broomsticks would be too crowded and then someone might overhear what we were saying, considering how many people are in there," she stated.

"That's what I was thinking. Now, I support this, but I don't think that it would be the best idea for me to be present at this meeting tomorrow," I hesitated, trying to find the right words.

"Why not? I was hoping to introduce you with Harry so that the members could see who would be teaching them,"

"I know, but, Hermione, think about it. It would look very odd if a group of students was following me into the Hog's Head, which not many people go to in the first place. We can't risk having this look suspicious, especially if Umbridge is going along, which I believe she is. She already has problems with me and I can't afford to give her cause to investigate her suspicions," I said, feeling a bit guilty, "but feel free to mention that I will be teaching anyone who wants to learn."

"I suppose that makes sense, now that you mention it. It would look slightly odd if you were there as well. Are you going to be chaperoning the students?" she asked.

"No," I scoffed bitterly, "Umbridge claims that I'd be useless, seeing how I am blind, and therefore cannot see students. In her mind, I'm useless. She wanted me to stay here, actually, but Minerva...erm...McGonagall stepped in and told her that she had no business keeping me in school, so I will be going to Hogsmeade. I just won't be responsible for any students."

I smiled a bit, thinking about how Minerva had taken my side. She was always supportive of me, making her best effort to allow me my freedom, which, in turn, assured that I would be able to do my job for the Order effectively. I really and truly appreciated everything that she had done for me.

"That's terrible! I'm so sorry, Katrina," she exclaimed, lightly squeezing my hand. I enjoyed moments like this; moments where I could speak to Hermione as a genuine friend, instead of the awkward, forced student-teacher relationship we had normally.

"That's alright. You've not done anything. It's that Umbridge," I mumbled. "Oh, has Ron or Fred or George mentioned anything about Charlie? I've not heard from him in weeks. I'm starting to worry."

Hermione stiffened.

"What?" I asked, now panicking.

"Nothing," she said uncomfortably.

"Hermione," I warned seriously, "if something's happened to him, you _have_ to tell me. I'll beg."

I could swear that I almost heard her chuckle. Now I was confused. Surely if something was wrong, she'd let me know, not laugh about it.

"Katrina, don't worry. He's absolutely fine. I can't tell you much more than that, Ron and his brothers, Charlie included, will _kill_ me. Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough," she said. I did not need to be able to see to know that there was an ever-growing smirk on her face.

"Hermione," I whined, "That's not fair. You can't just say something like that and expect me to sit here patiently until I find out."

"I can't tell you any more. I have some homework to get done. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow," she laughed as she got up from where she was sitting and walked out of the door. Once I heard the faint _click_ of the door shutting again, I took the opportunity to express my frustration.

"UGH!" I groaned, flopping down onto my bed, covering my face with a pillow. "UGH!"

I was infuriated. I wanted so badly to know what was going on; this would drive me insane. So Charlie was fine. Good. But then if he was fine, why would he just abruptly stop writing to me? It made no sense at all. Merlin only knows how long he would keep this up. It may be another week, or another month; I had no way of knowing.

I groaned again. That man was so absurdly difficult to understand. He claimed to love me, and then he went and did something like this...No, I would not go questioning his love for me. I was sure that there had to be another reason for this, especially considering the fact that Hermione had been laughing earlier.

I knew it would be fruitless to try to get Hermione or any of the Weasleys, for that matter, to tell me what was going on. They were determined to keep this from me, but I could not help but wonder what exactly "this" was. Maybe he was going to try to floo me, but that did not seem likely. A visit, perhaps? No, that too would be highly unlikely, especially after he had mentioned that it would be nearly impossible for that to happen. What on earth could it be, then? I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. It would do me no good to just sit here and wonder what would happen.

My focus was completely thrown off, but despite being distracted, I knew that I had to keep working on the essays. Sighing, I rose slowly from the silky covers, going to sit in the chair by my desk, muttering the spell, and letting the words fill my mind.

This was going to be a long night. The essays themselves were not terrible, but, as usual, some students had clearly tried to use charmed quills, which, of course, only worked for a certain amount of time before beginning to spew utter nonsense. One essay turned into a rant about how trees were being oppressed by squirrels and that they needed to be liberated.

I would have to have a word with Wilhelmina to figure out how to address this problem. Many Professors, upon detecting that a charmed quill was being used, would immediately give the student responsible detention. I, however, rather disliked detentions; I found them to be just as long and tedious as the students did.

It was possible that I could let this student off with a warning, and make sure to address all the classes about this subject. I hoped that would be a sufficient deterrent. If it was not, however, I supposed that I could have any student found using an enchanted quill re-write the essay for only half-credit, no matter how good their writing was. That would surely send the message that this would not be tolerated.

Thankfully, that was the only major problem I found during my grading process. Otherwise, there were a few cases of the inclusion of inaccurate or unnecessary information, spelling and grammar mistakes, and a few essays that got off-topic. All in all, though, I was satisfied with their work. It seemed like they had done the proper research and put an effort into their work, which pleased me. The one thing I could not stand was reading a piece of work that had clearly been "bull-shitted," as my old editor would have put it. I would rather have had a student say they had not done the essay rather than hand in a piece of work that was clearly thrown together with no effort at all.

I smiled softly as I finished grading the last essay. It had taken almost three hours to finish all of them, but at least I was done. I could relax or catch up on reading on Sunday. I would, though, make myself available for a few hours to help students with any work they were not understanding. I had always believed that if teachers wanted their students to succeed, they would have to be willing to _help_ their students, which was why I made my best effort to be available on weekends for any student who needed help.

I wished I could have just glanced at a clock to see what time it was, but, of course, I could not. However, I could estimate that it was about midnight, which was not too bad, considering all the work I had gotten done.

I pushed myself away from my desk, getting up out of the chair, and searching for my pajamas, which were strewn somewhere in the room.

After finding them at the foot of my bed, I pulled them on impatiently, then crawled into bed, curling up under the covers and shutting my eyes. I sighed softly, finally realizing how tired I was before drifting off to sleep.

_It was winter, the snow falling gently, dusting the trees and the ground. I realized, with a great shock, that I could see; I could see every single marvelous, unique little snowflake that danced in front of my eyes. I could see the deep green needles of the pine trees. I could see the rolling hills behind the house...but this house was not familiar to me. It was large; larger than the Weasley's house, though it had a similar country-like, homey feel. I felt so safe, so comfortable here that I could not worry about the fact that I had no idea where I was. _

_I was sitting in a comfy yellow chair inside by the window, a book in my hands, and a mug of hot tea on the table next to me. As I stood up, I felt odd, almost as if my body weight was awkwardly imbalanced. Looking down at myself, I noticed that my belly was protruding in front of me. I gasped, placing my hands gently on my belly; I was pregnant. But...who was the father? _

_I walked to the french doors, opening one enough so that I could walk outside without letting too much cold air in. I looked around out in the backyard, trying to find anyone, or anything, for that matter, that could give me some clue as to where I was. I shivered as a gust of cold wind blew around me. Instantly worrying about the baby, I looked inside to find a shawl or jacket of some sort. The best I could find was a burgundy wool cardigan which I quickly wrapped around myself, making sure to clasp it closed over my belly. As I did that, I felt the baby kick and I grinned, rubbing my belly softly._

"_Kat, love, what are you doing out here?" a masculine voice called. I turned towards the direction from which the voice came, trying to discern who was talking to me._

_My heart leaped at the sight of the man; Charlie. "I was just wondering where you were," I said softly._

"_I was just out getting some firewood; I didn't think you'd wake up this early. Come on, let's get you inside. Don't want the baby to be cold," he grinned down at me, shifting the large, unwieldy pile of logs in his arms so that he could lovingly stroke my baby-bump._

"_Let's go inside," I grinned._

_We trudged into the house, wiping our feet at the doorway and taking off our shoes, before Charlie led me to the couch situated in front of the fireplace, as he set to work starting a fire. "Now you just stay there. I can handle this. You need to rest; the baby's meant to be here in less than a week. Just relax, love. Let me take care of you."_

_The feelings I had just then were absolutely indescribable. I was so blissfully happy, content with my life, wishing I could have stayed in that moment forever. This was a side of Charlie I'd never seen before. He was so gentle, so loving and caring that it melted my heart. I was so used to the strong, self-assured, and sometimes stubborn Charlie. But this, this was a whole new side of him; he seemed almost...vulnerable._

"_Alright, but if you need any help..."I trailed off, laughing as he shot me a look._

"_Katrina, relax. You've got enough on your hands as it is. You could go into labor at any minute. Relax, love," Charlie smiled lovingly at me before finally lighting the fire._

"_There, see, it's all done," he grinned, coming to sit by me, pulling my into his lap and wrapping his arms around my belly, rubbing gentle circles across it, which made the baby kick in response. _

"_The baby knows its daddy," I smiled._

"_Well I can't wait to meet our baby. I love you Katrina. So much. I love you," were the last words he said to me, a large smile gracing the features of his handsome face, as the picture faded from my mind._

I woke up, a grin on my face, which immediately slipped away upon realizing that it had all been a dream.

Sitting in my bed, I realized something; I wanted a baby. I wanted a baby with Charlie. Seeing him like that in my dream only confirmed that. I knew that Charlie would make the perfect husband, and, someday, the perfect father. It was just too bad that I'd have to wait years for that to happen. But I wanted that _so_ badly that I could almost feel my uterus aching. I had always wanted children, but now, I had finally found the man that I could picture myself having children with, and I was rather impatient to have to wait, or so I thought. Though I was terrified that I would be a horrible mother, I was also selfish; I wanted to risk turning out to be a rubbish mum so that I could at least fulfil my innermost desire.

Taking time to clear my head, I realized how irrational my desire was. Charlie and I had not been dating for three months and already, I was yearning for children. _The dream was just so vivid. That's all. There's plenty of time for children in the future. Don't worry_, I soothed myself, feeling much calmer.

Anyway, today was the Hogsmeade visit. That would surely take my mind of things, if not only for a day or so.


	13. Chapter 12

**Enjoy the second upload of the day! **

**I figured you guys deserved a little something extra for putting up with my crazy schedule and lack of uploads.**

**And...you know...reviews make me happy so as a lovely present, I'd be ecstatic to hear what you think of either (or both) new chapters :D**

**Lots and Lots of Love 3**

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><p>True Love is Blind Chapter 12<p>

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

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><p>Chapter 12<p>

Today was the day; the first Hogsmeade visit of the year. Sitting at breakfast, I could hear the excited chatter of the students as they made their way to their seats in the Great Hall. It seemed that the entire environment of Hogwarts had changed; there was a positive, excited energy reverberating throughout the air. I was aware of more eyes on me as I walked to my place at the teachers' table. I felt a bit uncomfortable, of course, but I was also flattered. This was the first time that I had worn any type of "normal" clothing here so, naturally, I would be getting some shocked looks.

"Katrina! Why you look lovely!" Wilhelmina exclaimed as I went to take my place next to her.

After the first day of lessons, I had taken to sitting next to her at meals. Most people assumed that I did this so that she and I could discuss lessons or plans for the day, but in reality, I sat there because she was one of the few people that I actually felt comfortable around. I knew that Snape was in the Order, but that did not mean that I had to trust him; there was something about that man that just made me nervous, like he was hiding something serious. Plus, he had never really liked me all that much. I was, of course civil and cordial to him, but on the inside, I was extremely uncomfortable around him, perhaps because I could not see him.

I had come to terms with my blindness and was normally fine with not being able to see people's faces or actions, but when it came to people I did not trust, I was wary. Umbridge fell into that category too; I would not put it past her to try something just because I could not see. She assumed that I was weak, but that was her first mistake; with the acceptance of my condition, I had become much stronger, both mentally and physically. I had to be able to defend myself, protect myself in the face of danger, especially given my new assignment from the Order. I was convinced that if push came to shove, I would be able to hold my own against anyone.

"You do, Katrina. That outfit looks great on you," Minerva complimented, shaking me out of my thoughts.

"Thank you both. I appreciate it. Are either of you going to Hogsmeade today?" I queried conversationally, trying to disguise the fact that I had been thinking about anything overly serious or grim.

"I'll be going," Minerva said lightly.

"I think I'll be staying behind. I have some work that I need to finish for Monday," Wilhelmina replied. I instantly felt bad; I had finished my work last night and had not even thought of offering help to her. I made a mental note to ask her if she needed help instead of just assuming that she would let me know.

"Well I hope you get everything done," I smiled at her. "Let me know if you need any help. I could always stay behind and help..."

"Oh no, you're going to Hogsmeade. Don't worry about it. I'll be finished in no time. There will be plenty of opportunities to go to Hogsmeade; I can go next time," she said sternly, but kindly.

"Alright, alright. I'll go. But honestly, if you need anything tomorrow, let me know. I'd be happy to help," I grinned.

"Thank you, Katrina. I appreciate it. I'll keep that in mind," she replied.

"Hem, hem," came an annoyingly familiar voice behind us. I bristled immediately, but tried to push those feelings aside and remain looking calm and collected.

"Good morning, Dolores," Minerva sounded polite, but I could detect the sharp aggression behind her words.

"Minerva," Umbridge said in a clipped tone, returning the aggression. It took no genius to figure out that those two detested each other. They would be polite to one another in public, but I could sense a sort of power-struggle going on between them. It would be interesting to see just how that played out later on this year, or, perhaps, even next year, but that would depend on how successful she was here at Hogwarts.

"Good morning," I added, trying to be polite, but probably not doing very well.

"Ahh...Katrina...you look...nice," I could tell how hard it was for her to compliment me, but I knew for once, that the reason it was so hard for her to say those words was the fact that it was actually true. Though I tried not to show it, I was swelling with pride and satisfaction.

"Thank you. I'm sure you look lovely as well," I was being polite as possible so that she could not doubt the sincerity in my words.

She _humph_-ed before walking away, the heels of her shoes clicking lightly against the stone floors. I grinned, knowing that I had managed to annoy her. Though I quickly wiped the grin off my face, as I did not want anyone else to see what was going on. Inwardly, though, I felt the giddy sense of triumph that I had been waiting for.

We enjoyed light conversation over breakfast, not really taking about anything serious, but enjoying the morning nonetheless. The Great Hall was louder than usual, and understandable so; the students were so excited they could hardly wait. I was excited too; I was looking forward to a day to just unwind and enjoy myself. Though I loved Hogwarts, I felt constantly on edge, always having to worry about keeping up appearances, keeping my ears open for anything suspicious. It was a lot of pressure and it was stressful.

But today I would finally be able to have a day to myself, something I had not had in a long time. After finishing off my pumpkin juice, I excused myself from the table a bit early in order to get to the courtyard where we were meeting before the crowds of students rushed outside. It was hard enough for me to walk in these heels normally, much less when I was trying to walk through a giant crowd of excited pre-teens and teenagers. Honestly, I had no idea how Mrs. Weasley could have thought that it would be a good idea to make me, a blind girl, wear 4-inch heels. I knew that I was short, but this was just asking for me to break something.

Stepping outside into the cool fall air, I began to wish that I had worn a jacket over the blazer. It was chilly outside, and I could have used the extra heat. Wrapping my arms around my body, hugging myself to try to keep warm, I smiled as the image of my dream last night came to me. I remembered Charlie and I walking inside, him pulling my into his arms and snuggling up to me to keep me warm. I so wished that he would be able to do that now. _What I wouldn't give to have him here with me_, I sighed. I missed him so much.

I sat on the stone wall surrounding the courtyard, leaning my back against an old stone pillar, letting my mind wander. I stayed that way for a few minutes until I heard the low din of excited voices which could mean only one thing; the students were approaching. I smiled, glad that they were happy. They deserved a day to have fun.

"Professor Westing!" I heard two distinct voices calling me.

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, how nice to see you," I smiled playfully at them. Calling them both 'Mr. Weasley' was odd for me; I was so used to calling them by their first names, as opposed to their last name. I was looking forward to Christmas holiday when I would get to actually spend time with them as a friend, rather than as a Professor at their school.

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. I felt a bit mischievous thinking of it; maybe I could trick them into telling me about Charlie. Though, knowing the twins and their reputation as tricksters, it would be extremely difficult to trick them into doing anything.

"How has your week been?" George asked.

"Good. Busy, but very good. I think I'm actually getting the hang of this teaching thing," I grinned, disregarding the fact that we were in an environment where I was first and foremost their teacher. I honestly could not care at this point, though; I had not had a chance to catch up with them in a while and I missed spending time with two of my best friends.

"That's always good. You know, teachers actually...*gasp* teach," Fred teased.

The came the distinct sound of George's elbow colliding with Fred's ribs, "OW! Oi! What was that for?"

"You shouldn't joke like that with a Professor," George cautioned.

Lowering my voice, and realizing that George was completely right, I added, "George is right, Fred, save that for when we're away from the crowd a bit."

"Right, sorry, Professor," Fred said, trying to sound sincere, and probably rolling his eyes as well.

"Oh, stuff it, you," I teased back.

We waited until the crowd had dissipated a bit, the students going off in smaller groups, but still following the teachers who were leading the way into the village.

"So, boys, have you heard anything from your family?" I asked.

"Well, you've probably heard about Percy's letter to Ron, the bloody prick. He thinks that kissing the minister's arse will get him a promotion or something. He doesn't even care about his family," Fred scoffed.

"I heard about that. I would say I can't believe it, but I actually can. Percy's a git," I said. He'd never really liked me either, so I had no reservations about insulting him. I could not stand him. Maybe if he someday changed his ways and apologized to his family, I could begin to tolerate him, but, for now, I would go with hating him.

"But that's not who you were talking about, was it?" George asked. Damn, he was too perceptive for his own good. There goes my plan about tricking them into telling me.

"What d'you mean?" Fred asked, clearly confused.

"Our little lovebird here was asking about _Charlie_," George crooned.

I smacked him, blushing furiously. I did not say anything, knowing that I would just make a fool of myself if I did.

"Ohhh, look George, she's blushing. How adorable," Fred chimed in.

"Well...have you...heard from him?" I asked, trying, praying that they would answer my question.

"Yes," they answered together.

"And..." I pressed them for details.

"'And' nothing. We've heard from him; that's what you asked," George stated bluntly. I wanted to strangle that boy. Yes, he was one of my best friends in the world, but I could not stand this uncertainty. I could not handle not knowing when everyone else already knew what was going on.

"Oh, come on, you _must _know more than that. This is just cruel. Now you're just teasing me! That's not fair," I whined like a child. I didn't care though. I just wished they would tell me already.

"Life is not fair, Katrina," Fred laughed. "That whining isn't going to work on us. We've been sworn to secrecy. And besides, we've known you too long; grown impervious to your pout, we have."

"But...but..." I protested weakly.

"No buts. You're just going to have to be patient," George said simply, putting his arm around my shoulders.

I shrugged his arm off angrily, abruptly frustrated with the both of them. By now, we were at Hogsmeade village. I could tell by the rush of excited voices and sounds of students running around from shop to shop. I spun around angrily before they could sneak off anywhere, not quite done taking my exasperation out on them.

"That's not fair. I miss him more than you can imagine and you're not telling me anything. I'm upset with you both," I pouted, turning away from them, trying to make them feel guilty so that they would possibly end up telling me what they knew.

"Oh come now, don't take it out on them. I put them up to this, and I've been missing you too, love," a clear voice rang out in front of me. I _knew_ that voice...but...it couldn't possibly be...could it?

I stiffened, not wanting to believe my ears, but I couldn't deny what I had heard. "Charlie?" I exclaimed, running towards him, straight into his outstretched arms, burying my face in his shirt. "Oh, _Merlin_, oh, _Charlie_!" I repeated over and over, not fully processing what was happening.

"Kat, love, this is real. I'm here," I could hear the sincere love in his voice. Tears started flowing from my eyes when he cupped my chin in his calloused hands, gently pulling my face up to meet his, before claiming my lips with his own. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me tight against his body, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

"Well then...we'll just be leaving you two to get...acquainted," Fred chortled. I heard the distinct sound of George smacking him, followed by an exclamation, "Oi! Again? Was that really necessary?"

"Come on, you git," George laughed.

I waited until I could no longer hear their footsteps before speaking again, "I can't believe it...you said you wouldn't be able to come..." I trailed off.

"I know, love, but I was trying to surprise you. Are you mad?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Of course not, silly, I could never be mad when you surprised me with something as wonderful as this," I said.

"Good. Because if you were mad at me then I probably wouldn't be able to do this," he breathed, kissing my lips softly once more before chuckling lightly and kissing the tip of my nose, then the top of my head, still keeping me enveloped in his strong arms.

"I'm sure you would have found a way to persuade me otherwise," I said slyly.

He guffawed at that. "You're right, as usual."

Letting out a shaky breath, I spoke again, "I...I still can't believe that you're actually here. Are you sure I'm not dreaming?" I raised my eyes to where I believed his face was, attempting to look him in the eyes, though I may have been looking in the completely wrong direction.

Squeezing me tightly, he assured me, "I promise that _this is real_. You're not dreaming, Kat."

"Good because if I was dreaming, I'd be right pissed off when I woke up," I smiled slightly.

"Oh, and might I tell you that you look absolutely stunning? Honestly, you look so beautiful,"

"Charlie, what's gotten into you? You've gone all soft and romantic suddenly," I blushed, turning my head away.

"What?" he scoffed, "Me? Soft? Romantic? I believe you're quite mistaken," he deflected.

"Oh, of course. My mistake. I actually meant manly. Yes, very very manly,"

"That's what I thought," I could sense that he was teasing me, but I was happy to go along with it, reveling in the fact that he was here with me.

I heard a slight cough from behind Charlie. "And just who might this be, Katrina? I was not aware that you were...romantically involved with anyone."

"Oh, Minerva. Hello," I said, blushing furiously. I had not thought about what would happen if we were noticed by any faculty or students. "Surely you remember Charlie Weasley."

"Charlie? Oh my. It's wonderful to see you. Both of you together...I must say,  
>I was wondering when this would happen," she said happily. "Though, I came here to warn you, Katrina. Dolores is here with us and if she saw you...well, you can imagine what she'd say. Might I suggest going somewhere more private?"<p>

"It's good to see you as well, Professor. Thank you for the warning; we'll head off soon. I hope we'll be seeing you soon," Charlie replied kindly.

"I hope so too, Mr. Weasley. I shall see you later, Katrina," she added before turning on her heel and leaving us alone again.

Removing his arms from around my waist, he slipped a hand into mine, holding it close. "We can go anywhere you'd like; I'll take you to lunch, but first, I have to ask. this 'Dolores,' is she the woman you wrote to me about? And what did McGonagall mean when she said 'you can imagine what she'd say'?"

"I'll answer all you questions, Charlie, but I'd much rather do that somewhere more private. I have no way of knowing where she is and I do not want to be surprised by her suddenly while I tell you these things," I said cautiously.

He squeezed my hand tightly, "Alright. Where would you like to go? The Three Broomsticks?"

"That sounds perfect," I smiled up at him.

We walked there in silence, but it was neither awkward nor uncomfortable. We were simply waiting to talk somewhere where we did not have to worry about being overheard or drawing too much attention to ourselves.

Once there and seated at our table, Charlie ordered a firewhisky, while I had decided to go with a butterbeer, not wanting to be affected by the alcohol in firewhisky. Madam Rosmerta had also offered to make us some sandwiches, which we gladly accepted.

Charlie broke the silence first, "So what exactly were you going to tell me earlier?"

"Well, first off, yes, Dolores is the woman I mentioned in my letters. Dolores Jane Umbridge. Unfortunately, she's rather high-up in the Ministry, which means that it won't be easy getting rid of her. She's absolutely terrible, but I'll get to that later. Anyway, what Minerva meant when she said 'you can imagine what she'd say' is that Umbridge isn't exactly...fond of me," I said, trying to beat around the bush somewhat. I knew that if Charlie knew the truth, he'd do something stupid, like insulting or confronting Umbridge, and that could only end in disaster.

"Kat, I know you well enough to know that you aren't telling me everything," he sighed. I knew he did not want to push me and start an argument, especially after we had not seen each other in so long, but at the same time, he wanted to know more.

"Look, I'll tell you, but you _must_ promise to stay calm. I know you, and I doubt that you're going to like what I have to tell you, but you cannot do anything about it; this woman is dangerous," I warned.

"Now that's not very fair, jumping to conclusions. You assume that just because I hear something difficult or something that I don't like that I'll do something stupid," Charlie was clearly hurt and offended, a defensive edge to his voice.

"That's not what I meant," I reached across the table, grabbing his hand in mine and giving it a light squeeze, "I meant that you're a valiant man and you would most likely want to defend my honor, as it were,"

"I do want to defend you, though," he said sincerely. Good, the hurt was gone from his voice. I was relieved, knowing that I had successfully avoided a fight.

"I know you do, but there's nothing that can be done. The only proof we have is my word and I'm sure that it's not good for much when going up against someone like her," I sighed.

"Hey, you can trust me, you know. I'll help to figure this out, whatever _this_ is. Now what is it that she said?"

I hesitated, trying to figure out what his reaction would be, but then went on hastily, worried that if I did not say it now, I never would, "Well...she essentially told me that I was a danger to myself and the students, unfit to teach because I was blind," at this point, I could feel the tears flowing from my eyes, "Now I've tried not to care about what people think, but telling me I'm a danger to students, unfit to teach...that's taking things too far."

"What!" Charlie exclaimed. "I swear if I see that woman-" he trailed off menacingly. "No one, absolutely _no one_ has the right to speak to you like that."

That just increased the flow of tears. I choked back a sob, flinching in shock as I felt his trembling hands on my face. I knew that he was angry, furious; his hands always trembled when he was upset. But to my surprise, he was exceedingly gentle, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

"Charlie. There's nothing that can be done," I stated, feeling helpless.

He sighed spitefully. "I know you're right, and that's what pisses me off the most! She's saying these terrible things about you and I can't do a goddamned thing about it!"

Now it was my turn to comfort him. "It's not your fault; this is just the way things are right now. I'm a tough girl; I can hold my own against her," I grinned weakly.

"That you are; you're a fighter, fierce as a dragon," he cupped my cheek.

"I remember you saying that you prefer dragons to women," I laughed at the memory.

_"Charlie?"_

_"Yes, Kat?"_

_"Why did you turn down that girl who asked to go to Hogsmeade with you?" I asked shyly._

_He ruffled my hair, laughing, "She wasn't my type."_

_"You say that about every girl who asks you out," I countered, sticking my tongue out at him. It was true, though. He had turned down every girl that had asked him to do anything that could be construed as being a date. In fact, I was the only girl that he spent much time with._

_"Yeah? Well maybe I just prefer dragons to women; much less complicated," he teased._

_"Well, I'm a woman," I said pointedly._

_"Are you? I couldn't tell," he joked, gesturing to my rather large breasts._

_I smacked him, feigning shock, "Charles Weasley," I scolded, "you are absolutely impossible. Whatever will I do with you?"_

He let out a loud laugh, "You would remember that,"

Attempting to act coy, I decided to test him, "Then if that's true, why are you dating me?"

"I've said this already; you're just as stubborn as a dragon; you're my firey little dragon," his words were teasing, but I sensed the love behind them.

"And I suppose that makes you the dragon tamer?" I whispered, getting close to his face, close enough so that I was speaking right against his lips without touching them. I uncrossed my legs, purposely brushing my right leg across his legs, lingering there for a moment before setting my foot down next to his. I had no idea where this sexy, confidant woman was coming from, but I could not suppress her, not that I really wanted to, anyway.

He let out a low groan, "Kat...you've no idea what you're doing to me. If you're going to continue that, I'm going to need a cold shower soon, unless you want to continue this somewhere more...appropriate," he whispered, just touching my lips with his own for a fraction of a second.

Now it was my turn to groan. Pouting, I frowned at him, "That's not fair. No teasing. But play your cards right and you may get your wish," I whispered again.

"Kat...are you...serious?" he sucked in his breath sharply.

"As the grave," I responded. And truly, I was. Most girls had lost their virginity by age 16, and here I was, a grown (well, semi-grown) woman who was still a virgin. It's not that I was desperate to loose it, because I wasn't. I had always been the kind of girl who insisted on waiting until she had found "the one," and for me, that was Charlie. I had wanted this for so long that I saw no point in prolonging it; I wanted him; I needed _all_ of him.

"This is serious. It's a big step," he cautioned, making sure that I was completely sure.

"I know that, and I wouldn't do this with just anybody, you know that. I want this Charlie. I know you're thinking that I'm just trying to please you, but that's not the case. I want this just as much as you do, maybe even more than you do," I leaned forward kissing his lips, my lips staying pressed to his for a few more moments.

"I have a room here...we could go...later," he was obviously struggling to form a coherent sentence, mumbling against my lips. I could feel his breathing coming in shorter gasps, his body radiating heat, as I was sure that mine was.

"Later it is, then," I gazed at him, making it impossible for him to doubt my sincerity.

"Later it is," he repeated, seemingly dazed.


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: I'm SO sorry that I haven't updated in ages! I've been so busy with school/homework, my two swim teams, work, and then I got pneumonia. It's been a rough few weeks/months, to say the least. **

**Anyway, I hope you can forgive me for disappearing off the face of the earth for a while. I promise I haven't given up on this story at all. I've just had trouble finding the time to write/edit. This chapter isn't nearly as thoroughly edited as my others so please forgive any mistakes. I would have taken more time to edit, but I really wanted to post this for you guys as a belated holiday present.**

**To all my lovely readers, this is my gift to you. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Happy Holidays to all of you!**

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><p>True Love is Blind Chapter 13<p>

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

Charlie dry-swallowed a few times, trying to regain his voice, blinking as if to shake himself from the stupor that he was in. "Kat...we said 'later' and as you know, I have a room in town for the weekend. If you still feel like doing this later, then we can. I won't pressure you into anything and if you change your mind, I won't hold it against you," he said sincerely, grabbing hold of my hand.

"I appreciate the fact that you're trying to be supportive and understanding, but as I said, I'm ready. I _want _this. I've waited for this, hoped this would happen for years. You don't have to worry about me going back on what I've said. I mean it," I smiled at him reassuringly.

He drew in a sharp breath, "Alright. I just can't help but feel like you're doing this to please me. I know you're not, but I still worry. Maybe you can convince me otherwise later," he smirked, a sexy edge to his voice.

"Maybe," I agreed, nudging his leg with my foot. I left my foot where it was, keeping the contact with his limb. I trailed my foot up and down slowly, brushing it ever-so-lightly against him. I grinned when I felt him shudder against me. It drove me absolutely crazy knowing that I could elicit such a response from him even in a public place.

Never had I dreamed that I would be here, sitting in Hogsmeade with Charlie as a couple, awaiting our first night together. When I was younger I had always imagined what it would be like to date Charlie. I had had these crazy fantasies about Charlie and I getting together, dating, him proposing to me, me walking down the aisle, him standing at the alter grinning, our honeymoon, him anxiously awaiting the birth of our first child, and so many other events. And now here I was on the way to doing all those things, well...possibly on the way to doing all those things.

"Stop teasing, Kat. That's not fair," he whined. I laughed, hearing him whine like that. He was usually so completely and utter masculine that hearing him do something that was more akin to the actions of a teenage girl gave me the urge to fall into hysterics.

"What are you laughing at now?"

"You've _never_ whined. You sounded like a girl," I managed to say between bursts of laughter.

"Take that back," he gasped, feigning a hurt ego, "I do not resemble a girl in any way, shape, or form."

"Whatever you say, love," I teased lightly, still laughing and smiling gently.

"Kat, it's not funny," he whined again, which sent me into another fit of laughter. I knew that people were probably looking at me strangely because of how I was acting, but at the moment, I could not possibly care any less. I was thoroughly enjoying being here with Charlie and the other people did not matter. As long as I was with him, I felt free to just be myself without reservation.

"Oh, come on, did you hear yourself?" I queried.

"Okay, well I guess it was kind of funny," he admitted, a bit bashfully.

I grabbed his hand, leaning forward and puckering my lips slightly, smiling when I felt his brush softly against mine. Against his lips, I whispered, "I thought it was kind of cute. And yes, I did say 'cute' but I'm allowed to say that; I'm special."

"Yes, you are special," he said kindly, squeezing my hand which was entwined in his.

Our conversation and intimate moment was interrupted by the waitress who came by to check on us, "Can I get you anything else?" she said rather _suggestively_, clearly directed towards Charlie.

"Nope, I have all I need right here. Just the bill, please," he said, never taking his hand from mine.

When she came back with the bill, I made a point to try and pay for at least part of it, "How much is it?" I asked, moving to take out my wallet from my purse.

"No, you don't. I'm paying for this," Charlie insisted.

I tried to protest, "But I want to pay."

"This is your day, Kat. Let me pay. I'm treating you to this. You deserve it. You can pay some other time," he said. Despite my frustration at his insistence on paying, I could not help but to smile. I always found myself grinning, a feeling of glee that was almost indescribable gripping my heart. I was so excited to hear him talking about our future, even if it was the near future. I could not care if he was talking about something a few hours in the future, or years in the future; all that mattered to me know was knowing that he believed that there would be a future for us.

"Fine, but I'm holding you to that," I said pointedly.

It was his turn to laugh now, "I'm sure you are."

I playfully stuck my tongue out at him, not caring how stupid I may have looked just then.

"Very mature,"

"I know, but that's just why you love me so much. I'm ever-so mature," I simpered.

"One of the _many_ reasons why I love you so much," he corrected. My heart fluttered at his words. I blushed lightly, a bit embarrassed at how I was reacting like a little girl in love. Then again, thinking about it, I realized that my relationship with Charlie was so much more than just a schoolgirl crush. He was my best friend, my lover, my other half, and the only person I could picture myself spending the rest of my life with.

"Whatever you say," I felt suddenly self-conscious. I found myself slipping back into my old self; the one that did not believe she was pretty or smart or funny. I had always seen Charlie as so much better than me, and I still found it hard to believe that somehow he had chosen me.

"Kat, you have nothing to be self-conscious about," he assured me, as if he had read my mind. I loved that about him; how he always seemed to know what was bothering me. He was probably the only person who could make me feel better about myself.

"Okay, okay," I acquiesced. I did not want to have this argument now, especially since the day was going so well. I was afraid to do anything that could possibly increase tensions or make us not want to spend the rest of the day...and night together.

He helped me up, handing me my bag which he had taken from the back of my chair, taking my hand in his and leading me to the door. I smiled slightly as I felt the cool fall wind engulf me. I could smell the light, fresh scent of pine in the air, masked by the heavier smells of butterbeer and warm apple cider.

"Kat," Charlie started, "I have a few things I need to take care of before tonight. I'll come find you in two hours. Is that alright?"

"That's perfect," I said happily. Though, I had to admit, I was curious about what he needed to "take care of." He was not here on business affairs so that could not be what he was talking about. I supposed that I would just have to wait to find out. I knew it would be pointless to try and get an answer from him. He could be just as stubborn as me. We would not get anywhere.

He gave me a quick kiss before walking off. I was about to go for a walk around the town when I heard someone call my name.

"Professor Westing!" Hermione called.

"Hermione?" I questioned.

"I tried to find you earlier but I had no idea where you were. What have you been up to?"

"I think you know _exactly_ where I've been," I accused, but made sure to have a note of teasing in my tone so that she would not think that I was upset with her.

"Ahh so he's found you, then," she sounded happy. "I'm glad. I was wondering why you looked so happy."

"Yes. Oh, would you be willing to let me know when two hours have passed?" I asked, trying to be casual, not wanting to have to tell her my plans for the night.

"Sure, but why do you need to know?" Damn; apparently I did not ask subtly enough.

Attempting more subtly this time, I said, "Charlie and I are meeting up again. He said he had to 'take care of a few things' before then."

"Kat...oh my goodness! You and Charlie...you're going to...tonight? For the first time?" she sounded oddly happy. I could not help the blush that crept onto my face as she saw right through my attempts at masking what we were really going to do.

"Uhm...well..." I trailed off awkwardly.

"Merlin! You are! I can't believe it!"

"She's what?" a pair of voices chorused. I groaned inwardly. There were too entirely too many people around and I did not, by any means, want Fred and George to know of my plans for tonight.

"Nothing," Hermione said. I wanted to hug her just then, saving me from the mortification that would have come from them finding out.

"Just because we don't care much about school, that doesn't mean that we're stupid," Fred stated. "Come on, now. It's not fair to leave us out of the loop."

"Charlie and I are meeting up again later," I said, praying that they would not read too far into it, but of course, they did.

"_Meeting up_, eh? I bet they're doing a whole lot more than just meeting up," George chimed in, a humorous quality to his words, but I was still embarrassed nonetheless.

"Are you staying over his room? Or are you sneaking him into your room? Ohhhh...that would be kinky, have you been a _bad Professor_, Katrina?" Fred continued.

I smacked him for that last comment, which was totally unnecessary and completely inappropriate. "That is none. of. your. business," I growled. "Sod off."

"Ohhh she's getting testy, George," Fred continued.

"I swear if you don't stop, I'll give you detention for inappropriate behavior," Normally, I would never pull the authority-card on them, but this was an exception.

"You wouldn't do that," Fred insisted.

"Really? Just try me," I said rather menacingly.

"Fred, come off it. Let her alone; you've harassed her enough," George mollified him. I could have hugged him just then. Though Fred and George were incredibly similar, George was always a bit more subtle when it came tot his sort of thing, not that I had ever discussed intercourse with either of them, because that would have been awkward. But I was glad that George was there to stop him; had he not been there, I may have done something that I would later regret, like _actually _giving him a detention. I knew that he would have forgiven me eventually, but I still would have felt awful for doing something like that to my friend.

"Thanks, George," I whispered softly enough so that only he would hear. in response, he just put his arm around my shoulders, squeezing lightly.

"Erm...sorry, Kat. I s'ppose I went a bit too far with that, got a bit carried away," Fred apologized awkwardly. I heard the faint _scritch-scritch_ of him scratching the back of his neck, a motion that he only did when he was embarrassed or feeling uncomfortable.

"S'okay. I know you didn't mean it like that," I tried to make my voice sound light, not wanting to let on just how frustrated and upset I still was. I had forgiven him after his apology, but that did not change the fact that I was still extremely embarrassed, my cheeks still blushing a bright tomato-color. Being the shy person that I was, I was not at all comfortable discussing my sex life, especially not with my boyfriend's brothers. Maybe, and that was a serious _maybe_ I would let Hermione know about it, if she asked, considering the fact that we were both girls and therefore, it would be substantially less awkward.

"I am sorry, though," Fred replied.

"I know. I'm just not very comfortable discussing...that...with not just you, but with _anyone_," I blushed red again. Thankfully it was cool and windy enough that my blush could have been easily due to the chilly air or the breeze so it did not look very out-of-place.

"We understand," Hermione cut in before the others could say anything.

We spent the next few hours discussing how the meeting had gone. Apparently there had been a decent turnout, but, unfortunately, many of them had come to interrogate Harry about what he had seen last year at the graveyard. I felt so sorry for him; he did not deserve to be made into a pariah just because people were ignorant and in denial of the truth. I had hoped that the meeting would not lead to his being questioned incessantly about the horrible experiences he had had.

Nonetheless, I had a feeling that Harry had handled everything as best he could. According to Hermione, they had a fair amount of members in the club, but some had been skeptical about my job as an instructor. I could not really blame them though. I had not been at the meeting to explain my intentions, and they had not really gotten much of a chance to get to know me, especially if they did not take Care of Magical Creatures. I was very young for a professor, and combined with my blindness, that could be questionable to students looking to _really _learn defense against the dark arts.

Just as I was about to ask what time it was, I felt a warm pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind. "Hello, love," Charlie's deep voice whispered in my ear.

"Charlie!" I exclaimed, jumping a little, "You scared me half to death! I wasn't expecting that!"

He chuckled in response, "Sorry."

"That's alright. Have you gotten everything you needed?" I asked, wondering if he was here to come get me.

"Yes. I've gotten everything," I could hear a husky quality in his voice. He coughed slightly, trying to disguise it, but not before the twins noticed.

"Well, we should be going. _Have fun_, you two. Try not to stay up all night," Fred joked.

"Fred," Charlie warned, a threatening edge to his voice, "that was out of line."

"Right...well we'll be going then," George said, dragging a protesting Fred behind him.

"I'll see you tomorrow Katrina. It was good to see you, Charlie," Hermione said, politely excusing herself.

"Bye, Hermione," Charlie sounded distracted.

As soon as her footsteps retreated, Charlie practically dragged me with him to the hotel where he was staying. We were going so fast that the only reason I knew we had entered the building was the rush of warm air that greeted me, the distinct smell of a fire filling the air. He mumbled a quick greeting to the innkeeper before leading me up the stairs, more slowly now, making sure that I did not trip over anything.

"Kat...I want to make absolutely sure before we go into the room...are you _certain _that you want to do this? I know you said so earlier, but this is real now and I don't want to pressure-"

I cut him off by standing on my tip-toes and pressing my lips to his. Breaking away, I muttered, "You talk too damn much."

He grinned against my lips, throwing open the door and closing it quickly behind us. I was immediately greeted by the sweet, vanilla scent of candles, and I could feel the gentle heat of a fire in the hearth. Mixed in was the light, delicate aroma of rose pedals, which, I gathered, were strewn around the room.

"Charlie...this is so romantic," I gasped.

"This is a big step for us; I wanted it to be special for you," he said gently, "just hold on a bit. I want to cast a few spells...make sure no one can hear us or...interrupt us."

I stood in the middle of the room awkwardly, not quite sure what I was supposed to do. Was I supposed to undress? Was I supposed to wait for him in bed? Clothed? Unclothed? What should I...?

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the feelings of warm, calloused hands around me, soon followed by the distinct feeling Charlie's body behind me.

We were both silent as he kissed down my neck softly, trailing his light lips down throat and onto the tops of my shoulders, sending shivers coarsing down my spine. He pulled off my coat, massaging my shoulders as he did so. Breathing quickly, his breath warm against my face he pulled my tank-top off my body. He was still standing behind me and I leaned my head back, resting my face in the crook of his neck.

I turned around in his arms, facing him. He gasped, fully taking in the sight of my body. "You're beautiful, Kat. Absolutely perfectly beautiful."

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><p><strong>(AN If you want to read what happened, the more *intimate* version, I posted that as a separate story on my account. It'll be called something like "True Love is Blind Ch 13 Full Chapter" Feel free to go check it out. I decided not to include it in this story so that I could keep the rating the same.)**


	15. Chapter 14

True Love is Blind Chapter 14

Summary: Though Charlie Weasley enjoys his job in Romania, he cannot help but feel alone. It has been years since he had seen his best friend, Katrina. Little does he know, things have changed greatly since then. Katrina has lost her sight in a horrible accident caused by Death Eaters. She had closed herself off from the rest of the world, never leaving her house, refusing to see anyone. Can Charlie save her from herself before it is too late?

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><p><strong>AN: I hope everyone had an amazing New Year's Eve. I went to a party last night at my friend's house. It was kind of awesome. We all hung out, acted like total weridos (which we are...) and ate wayyyy too much sugar. lol. My friend brought Just Dance 3 and I had the lovely opportunity to learn that I absolutely fail at dance games. My coordination level is like nonexistant, but I kind of already knew that. I was expecting it to be easy, considering the fact that we were playing beginner, but we got to one song that was like 'AHHHHHH! I can't move that way! My body doens't bend like that!' Anyway, though, it was fun. We watched the ball drop then got bored and started watching random TV...which is always interesting with my friends. We watched Strange Sex, Transformers, iCarly, and like 5 other different things.**

**Anyway, I hope all of you have an awesome 2012! Happy New Year to all my lovely readers!**

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><p>Chapter 14<p>

I woke the next morning, rubbing my eyes tiredly. In my cloudy mind, I did realize that the lower half of my body was throbbing. Charlie was definitely...well endowed, to say the least. I could only surmise that I would be in pain for a few days. Despite that, a giddy smile lit up my face as I realized that Charlie and I had finally taken the next step in our relationship.

Bracing myself for a rush of pain from my sore muscles, I made to get up and out of bed, but realized with a bit of shock that there was a warm, muscular arm wrapped around my waist. That arm tightened around me and fought to pull me closer to the body of the man that shared the bed with me.

Then, the memories of the last night flooded my mind. I remembered the smell of the candles and roses filling the room. I remembered the moments leading up to the best night of my life. My teenage fantasies had actually come true, which I had never really expected to happen. I grinned to myself as I remembered what a gentleman he'd been. He had wanted to make our first time special, and he had certainly succeeded with that. It had been even more special that I could have ever dreamed. The mere memory of his hands on my bare skin sent shivers coursing down my spine. I shuddered involuntarily.

Then, I suddenly realized what day it was; it was Sunday and I needed to be back at the castle _now_. Judging by the lack of noise from other rooms near us, I assumed that it was either really early or really late. I hoped for my sake that it was the former and not the latter. If I was late and got caught, Umbridge would surely have my head. She would jump at any opportunity to get me fired, or get me in trouble, at the very least.

Not wanting to leave without saying goodbye, I decided to gently shake Charlie, hoping that it would be enough to wake him. I felt bad for waking him from his sleep; he looked so serene and peaceful, but I wanted to have a chance to talk to him before leaving. After all, it would most likely be a good two months before I saw him again. It was unlikely that he would be able to come visit me again like this, so that meant that I would have to wait until the Christmas holiday to see him. We probably would not even have a change to be 'together' again at Christmas, considering that we would most likely be staying at the Burrow. The idea of Charlie and I having sex in his parents' house, though mildly amusing, like some kind of hormonal teenager's fantasy, was not exactly appealing. There would be numerous guests staying with them for the holidays and I did not want to risk anyone hearing us or walking in on us. That would be incredibly embarrassing. I would be absolutely mortified if that ever happened. Though it was obvious that Charlie and I were a couple, I was sure that no one would want to see us naked in bed.

"Charlie, love, please wake up. I need to get back to the castle," I shook him gently, which only elicited a slight groan from him as he shifted in bed, trying to get comfortable and ignore me.

"Charlie," I said a bit more forcefully.

"Ughhh...five more minutes," he whined like a child.

"Charlie please. I need you to help me find my clothes. Please," I began begging, hoping that maybe he would feel guilty and get up.

Grumbling, he pushed the covers off and stood up. Then, out of nowhere, he started laughing at me.

"What?" I asked, incredulous as to what exactly he found so funny. I felt extremely self-conscious and I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. I ducked my face to try to hide the blush from him.

"You, love, have major sex hair," he chortled.

Feeling rather ridiculous, I reached up to touch my hair, laughing when I realized what he meant by 'sex hair'. My hair was knotted and messy, like someone had been running their hands through it and pulling on it, which _had _infact happened last night.

"Yeah, well...I won't in a minute," I muttered a quick spell that I had picked up from my mother when she could not be bothered with having one of the house-elves do her hair for her. Reaching up to touch my hair again, I grinned, feeling the sleek, soft, straight locks fall down my shoulder. "There, that's better."

"Damn. I have to admit, I kind of like the sex hair-look on you. We'll have to revisit that style sometime," he suggested huskily.

"Yes we will, but that sometime will not be today. I have to get back to the castle _now_," I said, feeling stressed again.

"Alright. Alright. No need to have a fit. Here are your clothes," he said, tossing a pile of various items at me. Fishing through them, my hands landed on my rather lacy pair of underwear and matching bra. I blushed, realizing that if my underwear was in that pile, that meant I was, in fact, standing naked in front of Charlie.

"Ahhh, I was rather fond of those," he chuckled, seeing what I was holding.

"Oh, shut it, you perv," I teased, slipping them on carefully. After I had situated the bra, I realized that I could just clasp it myself, but it would be so much more fun if Charlie did it for me.

"Hey, Charlie," I simpered, "would you be willing to help me with this?"

"O-Of c-course," he stuttered, clearly surprised by my invitation.

I turned my back to him, allowing him to find the clasps. He pushed my hair out of the way, his fingers lightly brushing against my skin as he did so. He deftly clasped it, then placed a few delicate kisses on my shoulder. I felt the muscles in my core clench with anticipation but I could not give in to those feelings, not if I wanted to get back to Hogwarts without being detected. If I stayed, which I wish I could have, I would likely be here for at least another hour and that was cutting it dangerously close to breakfast time. I could not risk being discovered.

I'd have to sneak back using the Honeydukes secret passageway that I had frequented many times as a student. I may have gotten good grades and been considered a "teacher's pet" but that did not mean that I did not have my share of adventures while at school. Charlie had, of course, been the one who convinced me to sneak out, but that did not necessarily mean that I had been opposed to the idea.

"Charlie..." I whined. "If you do that I won't leave here for another week!"

"Who says I want you to?" he murmured against my neck.

As I was about to reply, the shrill cry of a baby pierced the air, obviously coming from the room next door. I stiffened at the sound. _Oh shit. Shit. Shit. SHIT! I can't remember what happened before Charlie and I...did he cast a contraception spell? Oh Merlin. What if he didn't? What if I'm...NO! Don't think like that_, I admonished my inner voice.

Charlie noticed the abrupt change in my posture. "Kat, love, what's wrong?" He sounded slightly panicked.

I had no idea how to say this. I had no previous experience in dealing with situations like this. Forgoing my nervousness, I decided to just come right out and say it, "Charlie, did you, uhm, use a contraception spell?"

I could feel the tension mount as soon as the words left my mouth. I knew Charlie well enough to assume that I had caught him by surprise. His silence, though, worried me. Had he definitely used one, he should have been able to tell me right away. I began panicking as the possibles rushed through my brain without stopping.

I heard him let out a shaky breath and heard a _squeak_ as he sat down on the mattress, compressing its springs. _Oh Merlin. Oh shit. Shit. Fuck_, was all I could think. My fears were confirmed before he even got up the courage to speak.

"I...I don't think so," he said, the strain in his voice evident.

"You don't think so? Do you even realize how serious this is, Charlie!" I whispered, trying to contain my voice from turning into a shriek.

"It's not that bad, Kat. I don't have any diseases or anything. Anyway, you seemed to be enjoying last night even without the stupid spell," he said.

_The bloody idiot. Typical male_, I thought bitterly. "Oh well _THAT'S_ a relief. I already knew that you don't have any diseases, genius. There are more serious issues that I'm worried about."

"What the hell are you on about, Katrina? You're making a big deal out of something that isn't even a minor problem."

"UGH. You are _such a male_. You never think with your brain do you? No, you just let your goddamn dick think for you. I mean honestly, it's not that difficult to figure out why I'm upset," I was yelling now, furious at him for not having even thought about the possible consequences.

"Now that's not fair. I have NO idea what the goddamn fuck I've done and you just keep bitching at me like I'll suddenly know what it is that I've done wrong. Well I don't. I have NO IDEA why you've turned into a psychopathic bitch all of a sudden. I've never seen this side of you. You're being totally illogical. Let me know when the sane Katrina gets back, then I'll talk to you," he roared right back at me.

"You bastard! You have NO RIGHT to speak to me like that. Think, Charlie, I know that may be difficult for you to do, but just try. What happens when a man and a woman have unprotected sex?" I raged.

"Katrina. Clearly I'm just too dumb to figure out it, so why don't you spell it out for me?"

I felt bad for calling him dumb. I honestly wished that I could take it back, but his words of retaliation were so hurtful that I felt tears spring to my eyes. I was not sure if they were from my nervousness, my embarrassment for yelling at Charlie, the hurt I felt, or from the uncertainty that I now faced. In all likelihood, though, they were probably a result from the plethora of emotions swirling in my heart and mind, completely blocking out my sense of reason.

In a soft voice, feeling so utterly broken and hopeless, I broke down sobbing. I could hear Charlie's soft footfalls on the wooden flooring as he came to approach me, crouching down to my level. I shied away from him, wrapping my arms around my legs as I rested my back against the edge of the bed, choking on the hiccoughing sobs that left my throat, but somehow still managed to whisper, "Charlie...w-w-what if...what if I'm pregnant?"

I felt him stiffen before me. He really had not thought of that possibility. I instantly felt guilty for yelling at him when he apparently actually had no idea what I had been so angry about.

"Well...that wouldn't be so bad, would it?" he whispered.

Despite my guilt for yelling at him, I couldn't help the spiteful scoff that played upon my face. "Are you daft? I'm working for the Order, in case you've forgotten. I'm an unmarried woman and if I am indeed pregnant then Umbridge will surely fire me for setting a bad example for students. I'll be useless again. I can't handle that. I can't handle not having a purpose. You're working in fucking Romania, risking your life every day. I barely hear from you as it is, and I never know exactly what's going on with you because you can't risk telling me in a letter. Is that how I'll have to go about the pregnancy? Alone? Without you? Without knowing if you're safe or if you've been captured? Voldemort is back. Things are getting serious. This is not the world that I want a child -our child- born into. But no, you never think of that, all you can say is 'that wouldn't be so bad.' You're no the one who has to carry the baby for nine months. You're not the one who has to give birth. What if I have to go into hiding? What if I have to give birth alone? What if something goes wrong? What if the Death Eaters take over St. Mungos and I have nowhere to go? It's easy for you to say that it 'won't be so bad' because you're not the one who has to deal with all the direct repercussions, Charles!"

"I...I...I don't know w-what to say," he said brokenly.

"That's just the problem. You never do," I retorted.

"Well couldn't we do something about it? If you're worried about Umbridge firing you then you could always just quit your job," he said.

"EXCUSE ME? QUIT MY JOB? You insensitive prick. We've had this conversation a million times and you really have the audacity to bring it up now? Fuck you, Charlie. Honestly, I can't even say anything besides fuck you. You know how much this job means to me, but I guess you were lying before when you said that you cared. I _want_ this job. I'm not going to quit."

"Are you going to be that selfish? Are you going to risk our child's life so you can get your cheap thrills?"

"'Cheap thrills!' Is that what you think? I have a JOB, Charles. a JOB. It's my responsibility. And if we're going to talk about being selfish, then let's examine your job, shall we? Working on a reserve with dragons that could kill you, spying on suspected Death Eaters- yeah, that sounds totally risk-free. Don't act so high-and-mighty, Charles. You're just as 'selfish' as I am," I yelled.

"Well at least I can actually help people with my job. Honestly, do you really think a blind girl is really useful to the Order..." He gasped as the words left his mouth. I felt the tears redouble and begin pouring down my face. "Shit. Kat. I didn't mean it."

"You know, Charlie, you were the only person who never questioned my abilities just because I was blind," I whispered, only just loud enough so he could hear.

"Katrina. Kat, love. I'm so sorry. Honestly. I can't even tell you how sorry I am. I was just mad, that's all," he said, reaching out to pull me into a hug.

"DON'T. TOUCH. ME." I growled, swatting his arm away, backing farther into the corner like a feral cat.

"Kat," he tried to reach out to me again.

"I said DON'T TOUCH ME. I don't want you to ever touch me again, you bastard. How dare you? How _dare_ you! Don't ever come near me again!"

Avoiding my attempts to keep his hands off me, he circumvented my flailing arms and managed to put his large hand on my stomach. "Kat, if you are pregnant, can't we just find out now? There are spells to find out," he suggested.

"Do you know _anything?_" I said, completely frustrated, "If I am pregnant, my body hasn't even registered that yet. There would be no way to tell, not for a good while yet!"

"Well I'm sorry that I've never gotten a girl pregnant before!" he yelled back. I had to keep myself from laughing at his statement. He had to know how women got pregnant and the fact that he insisted that he had not thought of that when I realized that he had forgotten the contraception spell was almost impossible to believe. I faced him, a rueful smirk upon my lips.

"Whatever, Charles. I'm done here. Don't expect any letters from me. I'm still furious with you," I narrowed my eyes, glaring in his general direction.

"Well what if you're pregnant? Will you at least let me know?"

"Maybe. We'll see," I said, not wanting to give him a clear answer.

"Don't give me that 'maybe' bullshit. You'd better let me know. This is _my_ potential unborn child too, you know,"

"That _I_ may be carrying. I said I'll think about it. Would you rather I just say no right now? Because I can, if you keep pushing your luck," I snapped.

"I'm sorry. I really am. Please tell me, even if you're not...I just want to know," he tried to reach out to me one last time, but I would have none of it. I pushed myself off the floor, and walked over to the door.

"Goodbye Charles. Have fun in Romania. I'll just go back to my 'cheap thrills' if we're finished here," I said bitterly and walked out the door before he had the chance to say anything in response.

Wiping furiously at my eyes, I tried to make myself look a bit more presentable. I did not want to walk out of the room looking like I had been crying. Despite my anger with him, I did not want people to think Charlie had been cruel to me. He had said some very hurtful things to me this morning, but that was our problem. I liked to keep my personal life private. That did not necessarily mean that I kept everything to myself; I simply did not broadcast every little detail to everyone in earshot. It was very likely that I would talk to Hermione, or even Fred and George, about what had happened.

Especially with the possibility of bringing a child into the world, I needed to have a support team with me at Hogwarts. I knew that my friends would have my back, even if they were students. I would have gone to Minerva or Wilhelmina about this, but I did not want them to find out unless I was definitely with child. I wanted to keep this a secret for as long as I possibly could. If anything, I would wait one or two months to see whether or not I was pregnant, then figure out my plan of action from there.

Though I wanted to be prepared for what may be coming, I could not bring myself to start thinking about it. I was so scared and nervous that I shied away from the very thought of finding out the truth. I supposed that I would first speak to either the twins or Hermione, or both, and continue from there.

I took a few deep breaths, calming myself, then walked down the stairs carefully and continued out of the establishment, making my way back to the secret passageway that would lead me back to Hogwarts.


End file.
